


In Search of a Soul

by ShadefortheSoul



Series: In Search of a Soul [1]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, All The Ships, Anxiety, Awkward Boners, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Bad Jokes, Bad Puns, Bi-Curiosity, Blindfolds, Blushing, Clumsiness, Comfort, Depression, Drinking to Cope, Dry Humping, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Issues, Finished in Less Than Six Months, Fuck Pretty Boys, I Write A Lot, Lewis is Shady AF, Magic, Misunderstandings, Mother-Daughter Conflict, Multi, Occasional Spanish, Original Character(s), POV Alternating, Seriously I'm Worse than George RR Martin with these POV Shifts, Sexism, Sexist Language, Smoking, Spring Year 1, Staring, Suggestive Themes, Suicidal Thoughts, Supernatural Elements, Surprise Kissing, Teasing, The Farmer Doesn't Hog All the Heart Events, The Traveling Merchant Isn't Human, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, everyone meddles, spanglish, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 219,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23774566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadefortheSoul/pseuds/ShadefortheSoul
Summary: Violet was afraid to put down roots. But after a while on the farm, the young woman found a place to belong. Slowly, Violet discovers her neighbors have their own secrets and the Valley itself bears a dark, magical past. Meanwhile, the new farmer promised not to let herself rush into anything. But Violet can't help wanting to be around the guy who makes her feel free to be herself.[Frequent POV changes between OCs and the villagers.Lots of eventual pairings because my inner old matchmaker lady can't help herself, but I'm not giving away all my secrets just yet!This is the first part of the series. Part 2 "Violet of the Valley" is now published.]
Relationships: Abigail/Sam (Stardew Valley), Emily/Shane (Stardew Valley), Sebastian/Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: In Search of a Soul [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924084
Comments: 18
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.

**Medium Phalanges**

The night sky was ink-black, though the smattering of bright, twinkling stars lit up the valley beautifully. A young girl sat in an over-sized armchair at her grandfather's bedside. The warmth of the fire in the hearth across the room kept the chill at bay. "... And for my special granddaughter: I want you to have this sealed envelope." The old, bearded man coughed quietly, as if restraining it would hide his illness. Her mother accepted the envelope from her grandfather's outstretched hand and passed it to the little girl. The granddaughter smiled and thanked her grandfather as her little fingers went to break the beautiful wax seal that contained her prize. "No, don't open it yet." The old man scolded the girl gently, "Have patience."

She pouted slightly, but obeyed, swinging her legs and bumping the armchair with her heels to no beat in particular. Her mother gave her a warning glare, but grandfather continued. "Now listen close. There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my dear, you'll be ready for this gift." Most of what he had to say went completely over her little head, but that did not stop the young girl from caring for her grandfather.

"Now, let grandpa rest," he pleaded, drifting off to sleep. His young granddaughter had worn out his old body with her demands for outdoor play and he could no longer keep his eyelids open. Her mother led the child away, but not before Violet tucked her elderly grandfather in for the night and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, grandpa. I love you!"

He smiled and let sleep take him.

* * *

Violet could hear the grating hum of the green "work" light as it flashed from the other side of the office. She despised that sound, almost as much as the tap dancing of her co-workers' keyboard strokes in the cubicles behind her. The skeleton occupying the desk ahead of her was meant to be a Halloween decoration, but it added to the macabre feel of the workplace so well, no one had removed it. The nihilistic inertia of "it's approaching spring at this point, why bother?" had extended his stay.

At first, there was the typical, "This was the latest co-worker Morris bored to death," joke floating around but that got old rather quickly. Eventually, the skeleton was nicknamed Phal, as in Phalanges. It was the punniest name they could think of with their Joja Corp. hive mind and it stuck. What the higher-ups didn't know is that Phal's first name was Medium, so his full name could roughly be translated to "Middle Fingers." So now Phal was a member of the team, who until last week had donned a Santa hat, and was greeted by his co-workers each morning. Honestly, that was the most fun they ever had at work, and Phal wasn't even that fun. Just a running gag that no one wanted to kill. No pun intended.

The young woman sighed and scanned the room, spying Morris beyond the observation glass, eyeing his minions for signs of waning productivity. Violet loathed the man. Word at the water cooler was he was getting a promotion, leaving the city for a new branch store. Part of that made Violet a little giddy, but only just. She could feel her soul leaving her body each passing day she spent in this depressing place.

It was then she remembered the envelope her doting grandfather gave her when she was a little girl. The one she kept in her desk drawer, hoping it would help his spirit find her in her times of need. Violet supposed now would be as good a time as ever to open it.

"My dearest Violetta," it began. She cringed at the sight of her formal name, but it wasn't his fault about his daughter's poor taste. At least her dad had talked his wife out of naming their daughter Lilac or Lavender. Though ironically, Violet had always wanted to dye her hair to match her namesake. She pressed on.

" _My dearest Violetta,_

_If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change._

_The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So, I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong._

_I've enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Fairy Rose Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start your new life._

_This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck._

_Love, Grandpa._

_P.S. If Lewis is still alive, say 'hi' to the old guy for me, will ya?"_

Violet smiled, both in sadness that her grandfather had passed some years ago and in genuine heartfelt happiness that he thought so far ahead to give her such a meaningful and generous gift. She finally had an out from this place. A place that wasn't back home in her dad's basement. Violet did not have to admit defeat, only a strategic retreat. She could be content to a peaceful life in the countryside, and near the mountains and the ocean, too, no less. Sure, the farm was just outside a small town, but her memories of the valley were fond ones. And who was to say she would not enjoy the small-town life?

Gingerly, Violet placed the letter and the deed back in their envelope. She stuffed it in her blazer's front pocket and opened a blank document on her computer to begin writing her letter of resignation. For the first time in a long time, Violet felt a tinge of fear - but also excitement welling up inside her. Violet was about to do something she had always wanted since she started working at Joja Corp.: wasting "company time" on personal business on Morris' watch.

After carefully crafting her letter, Violet ambled toward the company printer and detected movement at the corner of her eye. Violet knew it was Morris before she even really saw the person's features. She cackled to herself as she delicately removed her resignation from the printer tray, folded it into thirds, and stuffed it in an official Joja Corp. envelope. She licked the gross strip of glue, sealing it shut, and in the same motion she plopped it right into Morri's open palm.

Morris blinked for a moment but adjusted quickly. "This is not your weekly inventory report, Ms. Violet."

Violet beamed at him, fully knowing that Morris was going to be missing that report for his meeting with the bigwigs upstairs in half an hour. "No worries, Morris," Violet assured him. "I know this late report is going on my record, but quite frankly I don't give a damn."

Morris bristled at her under-developed language. Yes, that is what Joja Corp. company policy called curse words, because Joja Corp. employees should thrive at all time! Any under-developed employee needed immediate assistance with their professional development in the form of seminars and Joja cola to perk them right back up! "Now, Ms. Violet, I understand your productivity numbers have been sub-par lately, but I believe you can get right back up to Employee-of-the-Month-level excellence." He stopped and adjusted his bow tie, then continued to address her, "Now crank out that repor-"

She cut him off. "As per my resignation letter, which you have accepted in front of all my peers," Violet motioned toward the cubicles and noticed a few heads peeking over the tops ever so slightly. "I am done with Joja Corp. effective immediately."

Morris wagged a finger at her, "Not without two weeks' notice. Joja Corp. policy states that any -"

Violet laughed out loud enough for the whole office to hear. It honestly scared her a little how little she cared in that moment. The green buzzing from the "thrive" light paused, but the "rest" button did not light up, either. It was almost eerie. Her co-workers became either unnerved or emboldened enough to visibly rise from their desks to see what was going on. "And if I wanted a glowing recommendation from anyone in this hellscape, I would have given that kind of notice," Violet admitted, shoving what few personal items she kept at her desk into her bag. "But the fact is, I don't care anymore! I'm not letting this dementor of a company steal away any more of my happiness in life. It's not worth it."

This felt good, she decided. Cathartic, even. Violet thought it would be a good idea to roll with it. "The sad thing is, I did care at one point. Hell, I was Employee of the Month for a whole year straight. You know what that got me? A Joja cola machine!" she shouted in exasperation. "And if that wasn't enough, I still have to pay the machine to get the damn can to dispense!" There were a few murmurs of agreement coming from the line of cubicles.

Violet decided to end things quickly because she could hear the marching of several burly security guards plowing up the stairs. Someone had hit the panic button. There was a back set of stairs that only employees could use, so Violet began to make her way toward them. "You all can keep your soulless atmosphere and your empty gestures of appreciation for our hard work. Violet OUT!" She flipped Morris - and the security camera - the bird and made her escape out the door toward the staircase opposite the security guards.

* * *

The air felt fresh as she was escorted out of Joja Corp. It turns out there were security guards coming up both sets of stairs. It did not take long for security to find her, but she was able to escape for a few floors because she was so short. Oh, well. "Frankie? Joey?" Violet piped up to get their attention, "you can put me down now. We're outside the building." The two suited giants grunted and simply let go, leaving gravity to do the rest. Violet rubbed her backside, then rose to her feet and dusted herself off. "Well, best of luck to you both, boys. I hope to never see either of you again." Violet gave them an almost sarcastic salute, then walked toward home.

She dug her phone out of her pocket and hit the first number on her speed dial. Her best friend didn't answer, but Violet wasn't surprised. It wasn't even 4:00 PM and most people were working right now. Once the voicemail message ended, Violet said, "Bex, you're never going to believe what I just did. Oh, and I'm moving out of the city. You were right, this place sucks and I should have left when you did. I could use your help with a few things, if you've got the time. I'll explain everything. Call me back, bye!"


	2. Fairly-Far-From-a-Rose Farm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving in Pelican Town, she meets Mayor Lewis and Robin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters, warnings, etc. will be tagged as they become relevant.

**Fairly-Far-From-a-Rose Farm**

Once the euphoria from her dramatic and liberating exit from Joja Corp. faded, Violet had to deal with a much larger enemy: herself. For several hours, Violet dealt with an impending sense of dread. _Oh, shit, what have I done?! I can't go back now, but what if this farm thing doesn't work out? What if I can't pay my bills? Will I even have bills if I own the land?!_

The young woman collapsed against her front door as she shut it behind her. The gravity of her actions slowly sank into her skin. "Fuuuuuuuuuuck," she moaned. "How could something that felt so good be so bad? How will I ever get a good job again?" She groaned piteously.

It was then Violet's phone rang and from the theme song it played, she knew it was Bex. She answered immediately. "Thank god, Bex, I've made a terrible mistake! HAAAAALP!"

"Chica, calm down," her best friend ordered. "Use your words and tell me exactly what happened..."

Violet sighed, pinching where the bridge of her nose met her forehead. "I quit in front of everyone, flipped Morris the bird, and got escorted off Joja Corp. property by Frankie and Joey." There was silence on the other end and Violet braced herself for the worst. Rebecca used to work for Joja Corp. as well, but she made sure to leave quickly, and on friendly terms.

Violet would have fallen over had she not already been seated when Rebecca finally said something. "IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Bex shouted with elation. "Congrats! I'm so proud of you." The young woman's best friend was more supportive about the situation than she expected. "Oh, man, I wish I had seen the look on that obnoxious brown-noser's face!" The laughter on the other end of the call gave Violet room to relax. The blonde sighed in relief.

"Well, it felt great, but now I'm battling the inevitable wave of adult responsibilities that completely escaped me at the time," Violet muttered miserably.

"You'll figure something out," Bex assured her. "Besides, I'm sure something triggered your snap at Morris, right? What did he do?" Violet could tell her friend wanted her to spill the tea on some juicy office gossip, but she would have to disappoint her.

Violet laughed nervously, "Actually, he didn't do anything today," she admitted. "The soul-crushing just got to me and I opened that old birthday envelope from grandpa. You'll never believe what's inside."

"Don't leave me guessing," her friend pleaded, "Just tell me! You know I hate these games."

Violet smiled. While she did know that Bex hated guessing games, her friend knew that Violet loved to mess with her and vice-versa. She decided to throw Rebecca a nice little tidbit. "A deed."

"A deed?" This was a factual detail that gave Rebecca some iota of information, but that alone would never be enough to satisfy her. She took the bait and made a guess. "What, do you own Joja Corp.'s building now? Imagine the look on those goons' faces if you were their landlord."

A chuckle escaped Violet's lips, "Nah, my grandpa left me his old farm." Violet paused, trying to remember what details she gave Rebecca in the past. "You know, the one I told you I would visit as a kid every few summers when I was little?"

"The one with the weird shadow monster?" Rebecca said doubtfully. _Ah, so she did remember that,_ Violet noted. "Chica, if you think I believed that for a second, you've been in Joja's clutches way too long."

"IT EXISTS, REBECCA, I'M TELLING YOU. I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD!" Violet roared over the phone.

"Sure, sure," Rebecca said dismissively. She didn't want to start an argument right now and she knew how stubborn Violet could be when she dug her heels in. "In any case, I assume now that you've quit your soul-sucking corporate job, you're going to move out to the coast and start fresh or something?"

Violet hesitated for a moment, "Yeah…" she said, trailing off. "I suppose I am." It actually felt nice to say that. "Maybe I'll find a nice hillbilly. I'll 'civilize' him a bit and he'll put me through farmer boot camp and I'll be a sexy farmer, too."

"I will remind you that neither Tucker nor Dale are exactly 'fit' hillbillies in the way you want, Vi. And hillbillies aren't farmers necessarily," Rebecca reminded her friend.

"Fuck off, Bex, I'm going to find a beautiful farmer and you're going to come begging me, asking if they have any other gorgeous relatives for you to mash faces with."

"Uh-huh, suuuuure." Rebecca did not sound convinced. "Anyway, you said you might need my help this weekend. What's up?"

"I want to dye my hair and pierce my ears and I know only you can give me the look I want," Violet stated in a business-like tone. "I will not take 'no' for an answer. I'm leaving for Stardew Valley by bus on Sunday afternoon. I need a new look for a new me."

"You mean it? I finally get to make you over?" Bex could not contain her excitement and did not wait for Violet's confirmation. The crash on the other end of call made it sound like things were being haphazardly thrown into a bag. "Alright, here are my terms: I demand my favorite pizza and soda to be waiting for me when I arrive as payment. We also need several hours of girl talk to catch up because who knows how long it will be until we see each other again." Rebecca paused, like she was making a quick calculation mid-sentence, "I'll be there in three hours. Bye!"

* * *

Violet fidgeted anxiously with the strap of her bag as the bus made its way toward Pelican Town. Her once blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back was now the color of the lighter variety of African violet she kept in her lap and shoulder-length. The waves she didn't expect, but Bex did not seem surprised in the slightest. "All that hair was weighing you down!" Rebecca told her, as she ceremoniously sliced the ponytails from her head. Rebecca tossed the freed locks onto the couch. "Be free, my pretties!"

Violet laughed at her friend's playful antics at the time, but part of her felt naked with so much length gone, even after a weekend of getting used to it. Violet couldn't remember the last time her hair had been so short. This was all an enormous change for her.

 _Was this a mistake?_ she wondered to herself. It wasn't just her hair, or quitting her job, or even that she had done this all so spontaneously. It was the starting over without knowing a single person in town that scared her most. When she visited Pelican Town as a child, it was always to visit her grandfather. For the most part, they stayed at the farm and grandpa would entertain her by having her help around the farm. In hindsight, he was making her do chores to physically wear her out and spare his back, Violet was sure, but that didn't matter.

She glanced down at her grandfather's letter again, paying special attention to the line: "real connections with other people." Violet hoped she could. She had never been great at making new friends. Maybe being the only new person in town would make the regular townspeople feel obligated to talk to her. Or, maybe this would all blow up in her face.

The bus hissed to a halt far more abruptly than Violet anticipated. Collecting her things, she inhaled deeply and descended the stairs to her new life. "Here goes nothing," she said shakily.

Stepping off the bus, someone awaited her arrival. _Oh, shoot, it's a bird name…_ Violet panicked slightly, trying to remember who Mayor Lewis informed her who would meet her at the bus stop. "Hello!" the woman said in a friendly tone. "You must be Violet!" Violet greeted the red head before her with a friendly handshake.

Thankfully, the woman introduced herself before Violet could make a fool of herself, "I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He's there right now, tidying things up for your arrival."

"That's… very considerate of you both," Violet responded in the friendliest voice could muster. _Oh, god, was that too close to my 'customer service' voice?_ she wondered. _Did I sound like a complete fraud?_

If Robin thought anything was odd about Violet, she clearly hid it well. "The farm's right over here, if you'll follow me." Robin motioned for the newcomer to fall in step behind her. It took very little time to reach the farm from the bus stop. For some reason when she came to visit as a child, it always seemed so far away. Perhaps it was because she was so impatient to see her grandfather back then, Violet reflected fondly.

"This is Fairy Rose Farm," Robin announced, as they entered the fenced-in property. Violet's jaw nearly dropped at the sight. The state of her grandfather's farm – well, her farm now – was in absolute shambles. It was certainly not the way she recalled when she visited as a girl. Violet was not quite sure what she had expected, but seeing the farm in this state disheartened her. Robin caught on to Violet's sudden change in mood.

"What's the matter?" she asked the new farmer. "Sure, it's a bit overgrown, but there's some good soil underneath that mess! With a little dedication, you'll have it cleaned up in no time." Robin lead the young woman to the front of the house with smile. "…And here we are, your new home."

"Thank you, Ro-" Violet began, but she was interrupted by someone opening the front door. It was Mayor Lewis. He looked just as he had when Violet met him as a little girl. He wasn't so grey, then, she thought. And perhaps he was a bit shorter than she recalled. Or Violet realized, more likely he did not seem as tall because she had grown since then. Not that she had become tall, not in the least. She was still below average height, much to her dismay. Hopefully that wouldn't matter in her new line of work.

Lewis greeted her from the top of the stairs, "Ah, the new farmer!" Twirling his mustache, he came down to greet Violet in a more personable manner. "You know, everyone's been asking about you," he told her with an amused chuckle. Violet froze. O _h, no. What did he say? Do I already have a bad reputation before I even get to make a name for myself? I'm sure grandpa told him all kinds of embarrassing stories._

Lewis continued, "It's not every day that someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal!" Violet was still skeptical about what the other townspeople might have heard about her, but the logical part of her brain was soothed by the idea that Mayor Lewis' words were true. Moving into town was just simply not a daily occurrence in Pelican Town, so of course people were interested.

The old man turned to face the cabin. "So," he mused aloud. "You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage." After a short pause, he added, "It's a good house, very 'rustic.'" _Gee, thanks,_ Violet thought.

Robin could not keep a straight face. "'Rustic?' That's one way to put it," she snorted, trying to hide her laughter behind her hand. "'Crusty' might be a little more apt, though."

Lewis stood at attention, puffing himself up like a pigeon, "Rude!" he exclaimed. Violet thought it was odd that he took the insult so personally. It was her cottage, not his. With an air of snobbery, Lewis retorted, "Don't listen to her, Violet. She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades."

Robin bristled at the accusation, but other than the "hmph" that escaped her, she held her tongue. Seeing that he made his point, Lewis dismissed himself. "Anyway… You must be tired from the journey. You should get some rest." He took another look at the land beyond the house, "Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that." The Mayor made a quick comment about where to put goods Violet wanted to sell and then with a wave and a "good luck," both he and Robin headed east off the farm.

With that, Violet was alone in her new home. She climbed the stairs and entered the house. It was strange, but she found herself settling into a sort of calm she had not felt in a long time. Being here felt… right. Violet did notice, however, the glaring lack of a kitchen. I hope a kitchen is one of those house upgrades that Robin offers, she thought. Violet was not an amazing cook, but she sure as hell wasn't about to rely on take-out every day. After all, she was a farmer now, and what kind of self-respecting farmer would do that?

Either way, the cabin would have to do for now as-is. Violet was positive Robin would not offer her services for free and she would need to earn some cash before she could afford something like that. "Good thing I brought some snacks!" Violet praised her own forethought. She dumped her snacks on the table and began to nibble on a few things. There was a decorative bowl on the table, the perfect place for her African violet. She plopped the plant into its new home. The young woman nodded in approval. Plus Ultra Violet fit well in the bowl, as if its entire purpose in life was to become a planter.

After she put away a few of her things, it wasn't long before the travel fatigue set in and Violet decided to make an early night of it. She would need to get up early to start clearing the farmland, after all. She set an alarm: 6:00 AM. Violet groaned at the thought of waking up that early and the red glow of the numbers mocked her pain. It was better to get the work done early and relax the rest of the day, she tried to convince herself. Honestly, she had no idea how long it would take her to get her farm going. Days? Months? Years? She hoped not years…

Pushing those thoughts aside, Violet yawned and stretched in a cat-like manner before falling into bed. As she wiggled her way between the large comforter and the sheets, something sandwiched between the two caught her eye. Tugging at it, a swath of color revealed themselves. She remembered this old quilt. It's the same one I used to use as a kid, Violet realized. She traced the patterns with her fingertips. Grandma made it for grandpa as a wedding gift. Violet had seen her grandmother working on a quilt like this once. It took an enormous amount of work, not just in preparation, but also design and execution. It was sweet, knowing that a gesture of love as personal as this remained of her loved ones. Violet smiled and drifted off to the sound of crickets, breathing in the fresh smell of the approaching spring. She had never slept so soundly.


	3. Delivery Dash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian are asked to deliver a package from Mayor Lewis to the old Fairy Rose Farm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters, warnings, etc. will be tagged as they become relevant.

**Delivery Dash**

Mayor Lewis had asked Sam to deliver a package to Fairy Rose Farm that evening. _My old back can't handle it anymore_ , the Mayor complained. _Would you come by this afternoon to pick it up?_ Sam normally would have declined. He was so close to a break-through on one of his new skateboarding tricks, he could almost taste it. But Lewis offered payment and he needed the money to save up for a pair of new shoes. He always wore through them so much faster in the warmer months. The pay from Joja Mart just was not cutting it and from the rumors that circulated around the store lately, hours were going to be slashed by the new manager.

When Sam cruised by Abigail on his skateboard on the way to pick up the package from Lewis' house, she decided to tag along. Sebastian and Sam already had plans after dinner, but he got held up with a programming project deadline. So, although Sam had intended to deliver the package before sunset, it was well into the evening as the three of them headed toward the old, decrepit farm. "Ugh, this thing weighs a ton," the spiky-haired blond complained, hoisting the packaged from the Mayor's porch. "What the heck is Mayor Lewis sending this new farmer?"

Sebastian shrugged, "Who knows? It's none of our business." Judging by the grunts coming from Sam as he struggled with the box, Sebastian quickly realized that Sam was not going to be able to carry it by himself. The dark-hair man grabbed the opposite end to share the load. "Oh, wow, that is heavy," Sebastian admitted with surprise. He jostled the package a bit to hear the rustle of the contents. "Sounds like a lot of metal. Maybe some farming equipment?"

"I thought you said it was none of our business," Abigail interjected, elbowing Sebastian's side in a teasing manner. Sebastian could not hide his blush fast enough. He silently hoped that she would not notice. Luck was on his side, it seemed. Abigail ventured ahead of the guys and climbed the fence to balance on top of the posts. "I wonder what kind of person the new farmer is?" she thought out loud, hopping from fence post to fence post. "I hope they shake things up around here a bit, we need something new in this town."

"I hope he's into skateboarding," Sam exclaimed. "Maybe then Lewis will finally budge on the skate park I keep asking about at the town hall meetings." The young man had proposed a new skate park in town since before he was old enough to vote. Mayor Lewis always addressed his request like any typical politician, citing concerns over expenses, maintenance costs, and whether the park would be a worth addition to the town. "I'm afraid there are more pressing concerns, Sam," the mustached man replied. "Like repairing the old bridge to the eastern side of the beach, or the one to the quarry!"

No matter what, it seemed Pelican Town never had the money to build the fun things, or even the repairs Lewis claimed were tying up the funds. Then again, there were two big social events a season, so the complaints were few and far between among the older half of the town. Most of the younger residents seemed content, but Sam was vocal and persistent with his suggestions. That was probably why Lewis had a not-so-subtle dislike for him whenever the older adults were not around.

Abigail huffed, "You're assuming the new farmer is a guy," leaping from one beam to the next. She was quickly starting to run out of posts to balance upon as they neared the farm. "What do you think Sebastian?" she asked, almost expectantly.

"Me?" Abigail caring about his opinion threw Sebastian off-guard. "The farmer is going to be some ugly, boring guy who loves nothing but beer, farming, and gridball." A chortle escaped Sam, but Abigail was not amused. Oops. That was not the reaction he hoped he would get. It was just a joke!

"Just you wait," Abigail said haughtily. "The new farmer is going to be some hot girl and you two are going to make fools of yourselves trying to impress her."

"Not me!" Sam replied confidently. "I don't care if the new farmer is a beautiful skater chick. No girl is going to make me look like an idiot."

"You do that yourself," Sebastian interjected. Sam made a face at Sebastian that suggested he might have been playfully flipped off if he had a free hand, but the package they were carrying was too heavy and at least Sam had the sense not to try it with one hand. Abigail laughed at their banter, Sebastian noticed with some relief. At least tonight was not a complete loss.

They were about to pass the bus stop and Abigail knew it was impossible to make that jump, so she leapt to the ground, posing like a gymnast upon dismount. "Well, boys, let's meet this new farmer, shall we?" Once again, Abigail could not be bothered to wait for Sam and Sebastian. She wanted to see their reactions. When the guys finally caught up, they found Abigail standing in front of the cottage, staring at the dark doorway. "It… doesn't look like anyone is home."

Both Sebastian and Sam set the package on the ground. "That's weird, Mayor Lewis said the new farmer was moving in today," Sam said. He stretched his sore arm muscles, "Maybe they missed the bus into town? It's not the most reliable."

Sebastian sighed in relief – both physically from no longer having the haul the box and mentally. He had not been prepared to meet someone new anyway. He only just found out that someone new was even moving to Pelican Town because he overheard his mother talking about it with Demetrius this morning. This was the best scenario imaginable. No new people, just a delivery with some friends. The thought made him relax. Sebastian hoisted the heavy box up on his shoulder and climbed the stairs to the house. "I'll just drop it inside, so they'll be sure to find it when they get here. Then we can call it a night." Sam and Abigail did not object. Sam, because he was tired already and Abigail because she suspected the place was crawling with spiders.

So, Sebastian opened the door and dropped the box on the floor with a loud thud. However, he immediately sensed something was wrong. A rustling sound came from his right and he heard what sounded like breathing. _Oh, shit, somebody is here!_ Sebastian's heart began to race. What if it was some huge guy with a gun who shot at unexpected company? There was an intruder in his house, he would have every right. _No no, no… this is not how I go out!_

Sebastian made a mad dash for the door as quietly as possible and shut it behind him. "Go, go, go!" he urged Sam and Abigail, making a break for it toward town. The two were surprised but took off after him without question. Much to their surprise, Sebastian was incredibly quick when he thought his life was in danger. Maybe even fast enough to rival Alex. Sebastian beat them to the first light post in town by a long shot. When Sam and Abigail caught up, the young woman demanded an answer between breaths: "What's the deal, Sebastian?" None of them were in great shape, but they were still young enough to recover relatively quickly.

"There was… someone in the house," he explained. Sebastian was nearly breathing normally by this point.

"Whoa, really?" Sam seemed genuinely surprised. "Who goes to bed that early? It only got dark like an hour ago."

"Clearly they're a morning person," Sebastian said in disgust. He was a night owl himself and the mere idea of waking up before the sun made him feel sick. Though, if he was being honest with himself, he fell asleep early some nights, too. Changing the topic, Sebastian asked his friends a favor. "If the new farmer goes around asking about some weirdo who broke into their house last night, none of us were there, got it? I don't need them thinking I'm some creep or would-be robber."

"Yeah, the local vampires need to keep it a secret that the whole permission-to-enter thing is a myth, right?" Abigail teased with a wink.

Sebastian let out a weak chuckle, "Yeah." _I just don't want anyone else in this town to hate me… Or judge me for things that aren't my fault,_ he thought to himself. A wave of sadness washed over him. He hated his life in this town. All he wanted to do was save up enough and ride his bike out to Zuzu City and never look back.

And yet, he did have a couple of friends here in Pelican Town. It was not all bad, he admitted, but he could not remember the last time he felt happy for more than a few fleeting hours. Sebastian half-listened to Abigail and Sam as they walked her home. His best friend and his… other friend. He did not dare try to make his relationship with Abigail any more than that.

Sam seemed to have it so easy talking to Abigail. Or really, anyone in town. Why couldn't he be more like that? So confident. Or maybe it was not confidence, just… Sam was not afraid to be himself. Sebastian had not felt that way in a long time. He could hardly remember the time before his mom re-married and Demetrius entered his life. Not long after that, there was Maru: the perfect child for their perfect family. A family that had no room for the bastard son of a deadbeat.

Sebastian sighed and tried to push those well-versed thoughts away. Sam and Abigail were saying their good-byes already. Sebastian gave Abigail a slight smile and wished her a good night. "Good night, boys! Tomorrow is a new day for Pelican Town!" The excitement in Abigail's voice was palpable.

Sam waved to Abigail as she disappeared though the door of her father's shop and into the main house. He turned to Sebastian. "Hey, it's probably a little late to do band practice like we planned. Mom would kill me," Sam admitted sheepishly. "But we can still hang out for a while."

Despite trying to keep his pessimistic thoughts at bay, it was as if a weight were tugging him down. That feeling in the pit of his stomach sapped him of all motivation. "I have some more work to do by midnight," Sebastian lied. "Thanks, though. I'll definitely see you at the saloon on Friday night."

Sam gave him two thumbs up, "Sure thing, bud. See you Friday." The two had been friends so long Sebastian sometimes took for granted that Sam did not interrogate him about his excuses. Tonight, the strength of their friendship was not lost on Sebastian. He appreciated Sam.

"See you then," Sebastian agreed. "I can't wait to destroy you in pool again." Sam feigned insult and theatrically vowed to avenge his honor upon their next encounter. Sebastian gave Sam a genuine smirk and the two parted ways: Sam heading south, and he to the north up the mountain. Perhaps there were a few good things about living here in Pelican Town, he thought to himself. _Maybe things will start turning around for me someday…_ Shoving his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, Sebastian started the trek home up the mountain.

 _If mom can find happiness again, even after my dad ditched her..._ he thought. _There might be some hope for me, too._ Sebastian paused, looking up at the twinkling stars. "Any chance I can get something good going on in my life?" Sebastian asked the sky. "Is that too much to ask?" He looked around, almost embarrassed that he bothered to verbalize his desperation. Little did he know, the Junimos in the abandoned community center heard every word.

The young man shrugged and continued his way home through the dark night. Tomorrow would be a new day. The first of Spring.


	4. A Fresh Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Farmer Violet plants her crops and decides to go out and meet her new neighbors with varying success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.
> 
> 4/28/2020 - corrected the spelling of Haley's name.

**A Fresh Start**

Violet arose from bed as the first rays of sunshine filtered through her window. She stretched, reveling in how well she rested the night before. BEEP! Her alarm blared, startling her enough to fall out of bed. Violet landed with a hard THUNK. Fortunately she fell on her side, not her head, and no one was around to witness her clumsiness.

She grinned ear to ear. Before moving out into the country, Violet would have worried about the neighbors below her. Here? This entire house – however small – was all her own. In a fit of childish delight, Violet stomped around just because she could. The old floorboard creaked beneath her feet and one board caused a rattling sound. Curiously, her blue eyes scanned the room to find the source. It was a box in the middle of the floor addressed to her from Mayor Lewis. Had that been there last night? Violet tried to recall.

In the back of her mind, a hazy memory – or perhaps a dream – of a figure making a hasty exit from her home last night entered her thoughts. _No, that can't be right,_ she reasoned. _It must have been here yesterday, and I didn't notice._ Though, with the size of her new home, Violet did admit to herself it was highly unlikely she did not notice the package sitting there. At the very least she might have tripped over it. However, Violet preferred to think that she might be a bit oblivious in a new space than the idea that a stranger had entered her home while she was asleep.

Violet broke the seal on the package to discover some tools – a pickaxe, a hoe, an axe, a scythe, and a watering can. All very useful for farm work. Strangely, the water can was already full of fresh water. That must have weighed a ton carrying all that out here. Oh, and some seeds! "Wow, that's a lot of parsnips," she said, counting fifteen packets. "The old man must like them."

After a quick meal, and throwing her hair up in a ponytail, the young woman went outside to assess the day's work. Standing on the front porch, she surveyed the area closest to the cabin. _Hm… I suppose at the very least I could clear a space to plant these parsnips._ Pickaxe in hand, Violet began to break up some of the more obvious obstacles – rocks. Her first few swings at the rock glanced off to the side. After some trial and error, Violet finally got the hand of it. Breaking up the rocks took more energy than she anticipated, but she was by no means done for the day.

Using the scythe, she cleared away the weeds and tall grasses. A few frogs fled from the destruction and Violet felt a pang of regret from evicting them from their hiding place. But, after a few hours of hard work, she cleared a decent path in front of the house. Violet decided next she should till up the soil to plant her new parsnip seeds. She hoed a good twenty feet squared, planted the seeds, and then watered them before wiping her brow of the sweat and admiring her work. "Not too bad for a first day!" she praised herself. There were even a few spare plots for other seeds.

She walked over to the pond and washed her hands, arms, and face in the cool water to free them from the dirt and grime. After she was sure she rinsed well, she freed her hair from the hair tie. Violet silently thanked her friend Rebecca for chopping most of her hair off before she arrived in the valley. Her locks were still shoulder-length but there was a noticeable difference in temperature. She sighed and relaxed by the pond for a moment, feeling the breeze tousling her hair gently as it brushed her face.

Violet was tired, but she felt refreshed from the physical work. It felt wonderful. As if she was exorcising the demons of Joja Corp. out of her. She pulled her phone from out of her pocket to check the time. There was no service here, but the screen still flashed 10:00 AM. "Wow, it's not as late as I thought!" Violet was shocked how much she got done before noon. "Maybe I should go check out the general store and see what other seeds I can get?" Violet knew did not want to eat just parsnips for weeks on end.

The young woman rose to her feet and knew she made the right choice. Her muscles complained, but it would be better to loosen them up before resting too long or she would be too sore to move come tomorrow morning. Violet took her time walking toward town, admiring the beauty of the valley. There were so many brightly colored butterflies, she could not keep track of them all. Violet smiled. So far, Pelican Town was great. She hoped that feeling would continue to last the rest of the day.

As she passed the bus stop, she noticed an odd plant sticking out of the ground. Her curiosity got the better of her, and Violet pulled it out of the ground. She brought it to her nose to see if it had a scent. Sniffing the strange root, she thought of her dad's roast beef recipe. It must be one of the ingredients, so Violet decided to bring it along to the general store to see if someone could identify it.

The town itself was quaint. Between the cobblestone path, the trees and garden boxes strewn about, and the old buildings, it felt like a coastal tourist town without all the tourists. Violet passed a white and blue addition to the general store. It looked like a medical clinic. "That's handy," she said to herself. "I can come here if I get sick."

Passing the clinic, the sign on the building read "Pierre's" in gold letters. Below was what appeared to be the town bulletin board with want advertisements and a calendar attached. Violet made a mental note to check those later. The top floor of the building – where she assumed this Pierre fellow lived – had an attractively decorated balcony. The farmer pushed the glass doors open and entered the store. For such a small place, it had a surprising variety of goods on the shelves. As she browsed, Violet noticed several other patrons and thought it would be best to introduce herself.

The first person she spied was a man with a mustard yellow shirt and bright purple pants. Not her personal style, but she was not going to judge. Violet approached the man, "Hello, sir. My name is Violet. I just moved into my grandfather's old farm on the west side of town. It's nice to meet you."

The mustached man gave her a friendly smile, "The name's Gus!" he replied, shaking her hand. "I'm getting some supplies for the saloon. Pierre's got the good stuff."

"Oh, there's a saloon in town?" Violet figured there would be a bar in town, but most places did not go as far as to call their establishment a saloon. She wondered if the aesthetic would be Old West to keep to the theme. "Do you work there?"

Gus chuckled and his belly shook a bit as he laughed, "I own the place, Ms. Violet. It's called 'The Stardrop Saloon,' just across the street from here." He pointed out the clear glass of the door to the building. "Feel free to come by anytime - during business hours, of course!" Gus man collected his items and went to the register. "You have a good day now."

 _I think that went well,_ Violet thought. She tried again with the next person, this time a bit less nervous. The woman in the next aisle had long, dark brown hair that she kept in a braid off to one side. The sleeves and collar of her dress were a rich autumn color and the rest an emerald green. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Violet. I – "

"Ah, Mayor Lewis told me you just arrived," the woman interrupted, though not in an unfriendly way. She smiled and offered Violet her hand. "I'm Marnie." Violet thought Marnie sounded genuinely excited to meet her. Maybe meeting new people in Pelican Town would not be so scary after all. "I sell livestock and animal care products at my ranch. You should swing by some time."

"Oh," Violet said, as she recalled an old memory from her days with her grandfather on the farm. "Are you the woman who had a cow named Delilah? The one that would get loose sometimes?"

Marnie blinked, surprised by the mention of one of her old dairy cows. "My goodness that was ages ago. Yes, dear, that was my cow." She took a step back and looked Violet over. "Have we met before?"

Violet shook her head, "No, ma'am. Delilah would just come visit on grandpa's farm every once and a while. She was very friendly! I got to pet her a few times."

"Oh, that Delilah!" Marnie reminisced. "Such a scamp! She was always running off. I had to chase her down to milk her all the time." She continued, "I've got a better fence now that my nephew Shane is helping out around the ranch. The girls should not be able to go off on anymore… _adventures_ now." Marnie gave Violet a welcoming pat on the shoulder to dismiss herself. "It's nice to meet you, dear. Have a good day!"

 _Okay,_ Violet thought. _Two for two. I can do this!_ As she approached the counter of the shop, the owner greeted her. "Hey, it's Ms. Violet, the new farmer. I'm Pierre, owner of the local general store." Violet should not have been too surprised that Pierre already knew her name. He probably overheard her introduce herself to Gus and Marnie. Or the Mayor told him. "If you're looking for seeds, my shop is the place to go," the man assured her. "I'll also buy produce from you at a good price!"

"Oh, excellent!" Violet exclaimed. "This is exactly where I need to be, then. What seeds do you have?" Pierre handed her the catalog page of his stock. Violet had 500 gold. Should she spend it all on seeds? Probably not, just in case of emergency. "I'll take two bean starters, two packets of cauliflower seeds, two potato seeds, and some kale seeds."

Pierre could hardly contain his excitement. "Coming right up!" He gathered the requested items and set them on the counter. Violet dropped the coins in his hand and then put her purchases away in her bag. It was already getting full. Violet caught sight of the ruby-hued backpack on display. Two-thousand gold. _I'm definitely going to have to get one of those eventually._ She added it to her mental list of savings goals. "Oh, before I forget…" Violet placed the mysterious root she found by the bus stop on the counter. "Can you tell me what this is?"

"Ah," Pierre said knowingly. "That is a horseradish. I will buy it for fifty gold if you are willing to part with it." Violet agreed and received her payment. Making money in this town was not going to be as bad as she worried it would be if all she had to do was find wild edibles in between waiting for crops to grow.

"Well, thank you, Pierre. I'm sure I'll see you again when I have my first harvest!" Pierre seemed proud of the new business relationship and the promise of fresh, local produce in the coming weeks. "I look forward to it!" he declared. Violet waved good-bye and headed back home to plant her new seeds.

Thanks to her preparatory work earlier that morning, she did not have to do much to add the newcomers to her growing vegetable garden. Once she was finished, Violet stood at the top of her porch, admiring the garden with delight. "This is great! Now I just water them every day and wait," she would have to be patient for a while before the results of her efforts would be seen. Since she had nothing else to do to tend to her seeds, Violet decided to explore the rest of the farm for a bit.

Heading past the garden toward the west, she found an old greenhouse. It was not in usable shape, but maybe someday she could get it back up and running. Beyond some tall grasses, she noticed a gap in the ridge and a trail going north just beyond the greenhouse. She decided to follow it. The trail took a bend to the east where Violet found a few wild leeks and dandelions. She plucked the leeks from the soil but left the weeds. Who in the world would want those?

Pushing the leeks into her bag, Violet continued to follow the path until she came to a clearing on the mountainside. There was a large, well-kept house with a lovely blue roof. However, straight ahead of her in the distance, Violet noticed a man in a yellow jumpsuit. As the newest member of the community, Violet wanted to introduce herself. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the jumpsuit was in fact an assortment of what appeared to be leaves. "Um… hello?" she said to announce her presence. Violet realized her voice sounded shakier than she had intended.

The man shot around quickly, revealing a snow-white beard that covered the lower half of his face. He looked at Violet suspiciously. "A stranger?" The man looked around, as if to make sure Violet was the only other person around, "…Hello."

The young woman tried to gather up the courage to continue the conversation, despite the uneasiness. "I'm Violet. I just moved into town yesterday. How are you doing today, sir?" The wild man shook his head and excused himself. "Don't mind me. I just live out here alone." He went back to tending his fire.

"Oh…" Violet was at a loss for words and the man was clearly done speaking with her. "Uh, okay. Have a good day." She quickly retreated down the ridge next to the man's campsite and saw someone else looking over the cliff at the town below. _Most people had been friendly today,_ Violet thought to herself. _I shouldn't let one guy stop her from making friends in this town._ She may as well give it another shot.

"H-Hello, sir," she began as she approached the other person. "I'm Violet, I just moved to Pelican Town yesterday."

The tall man turned around and gave her a soft smile. His skin was dark, but warm in color. "Greetings!" he shouted, though Violet was not terribly far away. "I'm Demetrius, local scientist and father. Thanks for introducing yourself!"

Violet closed the gap between them and offered her hand to shake. "Hi, Demetrius, it's nice to meet you. You have a great view here. Is that your home behind us?"

Demetrius nodded, and accepted the handshake. "Yes, as a matter of fact, my wife built our house," he said proudly. "Robin is an amazing woman."

Violet recognized the name as the woman who picked her up at the bus stop yesterday. "Oh, I met your wife. She seems nice." _That's way too generic,_ she thought. _Say something else!_ "I hope to give her some business as soon as I can afford a new addition to my house. I hate not having a kitchen!" Violet added.

The man agreed. "Home cooked meals are the best way to nurture both the body and the mind. Though I confess I did not have them often before I met Robin." _Typical bachelor behavior,_ Violet supposed. _Or single, anyway._ "Have you met my daughter, Maru?" Demetrius asked the new farmer. "She's interested to meet you."

"Oh… Uh, no, I haven't," Violet stammered. "Is she in the house?"

Demetrius shook his head, "Knowing my daughter, she is likely with her friend Penny on the bench just south of The Stardrop Saloon. They usually meet there to chat." Violet was relieved to know that she knew where to go. Day one and she already knew a few town landmarks. She thanked Demetrius and headed west toward the same path she used to get to the mountain. As she passed Demetrius and Robin's house, Violet nearly collided with its red-headed occupant. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" the new farmer apologized.

Robin laughed, "Don't worry about it, Violet. I've had far worse injuries from my carpentry work." The ginger noticed the direction the farmer was headed. "Going back home for the day?" the woman inquired curiously.

"I was going to head toward The Stardrop Saloon and introduce myself to more of the town. Demetrius said Maru would be near there," Violet explained. Robin pointed south, indicating a trail toward town. "Well, unless you have things to drop off at the farm, that way will get you there a whole lot faster."

Violet blinked at the realization. Of course, there were other roads in town. She felt a little embarrassed but tried not to show it. The young woman muttered a quick thank you and took off down the trail. Robin walked down to the ridge to join her husband. The two gazed down at the town below and watched Violet disappear down the mountainside. "Aw, she's cute!" Robin gushed in a manner only a mother could. "I hope she decides to stay."

Demetrius was not sure about how to objectively measure the newcomer's cuteness but decided to trust his wife's assessment. "She seems to be polite and respectful," he noted out loud. Robin nudged her husband teasingly. "You and your silly compliments." Demetrius did not understand his wife's joke. He had genuinely reviewed the new farmer as he saw fit. He shrugged as Robin rested her head on his shoulder and the two engaged in their cloud-watching ritual together.

* * *

There were more bends in the trail than Violet expected, but she found her way back to town just fine. She noticed the river at the bottom of a small gorge to her left as she headed south. While she was tempted to check it out, Violet opted to walk along it another time. On an especially hot day would probably be best. Right now, she had a mission to find Maru and Penny.

Luckily, it did not take long to get back into town walking this path. At its end, Violet noticed that she was on the opposite side of Pierre's than she had been that morning. _That's a good route to know,_ she thought to herself. Violet was glad Robin showed her the trail.

As she followed the cobblestone path, a dirt one began alongside the saloon. Clearly people did not stick to the official road, so she followed the path between the building and a fence. A young man in a green letter jacket stood there, staring at an old doghouse. Violet did not notice any animals in the enclosure, but perhaps the animal was elsewhere. "Hi," she said to the young man. He had his dark brown hair cropped short, but still long enough that she could tell he used hair gel to spike it.

The jock looked away from the dog park to look at her as she approached. "Oh, hey. So, you're the new girl, huh? Cool." He leaned his shoulder against the fence and looked her up and down. Violet was not sure what to think, but it made her a little anxious. "I'm Violet," she said, "what's your name?"

The young man tossed a gridball – from where it came Violet was unsure – into the air and caught it as deftly as it came back down. "The name's Alex." _Okay, so he thinks that's impressive. Definitely still living the glory days of high school sports. Good to know._ "I'll see you around." Alex straightened himself up when he realized the new farmer was not reacting the way girls like Haley did at his athletic prowess.

Violet shrugged and continued around the bend toward the saloon. There were a few some dense bushes in a half-circle just beyond The Stardrop Saloon's entrance, so Violet figured that must be the spot Demetrius told her Maru would be sitting. The new farmer walked around the leafy barrier and found what she expected. There were two young women sitting on a wooden bench. They looked to be a little bit younger than she was, but then again, Violet was terrible with guessing people's ages. It had led to several awkward situations in which she had to apologize profusely to a client or friend's family member.

Maru saw Violet draw near and shot her a friendly smile. "Oh, aren't you the one who just moved in?" Demetrius' daughter glanced at the red head next to her, who Violet assumed must be Penny. Penny did not say a word and pretended to be intensely interested in something on the ground in front of her.

Maru adjusted the crimson frames on her face and stood up to greet Violet. "I'm Maru, I've been looking forward to meeting you!" Violet felt a bit more at ease at Maru's demeanor. Apparently, Demetrius was telling the truth that his daughter wanted to meet her. That was a good sign. The wavy-haired woman relaxed a bit and grinned.

"I'm Violet. It's nice to meet you, Maru!" She peeked at Penny, who was now behind Maru still sitting on the bench. Penny stole a look up quickly, "Oh… Hello." Clearly Penny was not nearly as outgoing as her friend. "I'm Penny..."

Maru signaled Violet not to worry with a hand gesture. Penny would need more time to warm up to her and Violet was not about to be pushy about it. From Penny's yellow wardrobe she looked like a cute, but high-strung schoolteacher. She looked almost sad, Violet thought. But at least she was not the only shy person in town. Violet was a "closet introvert" as she liked to call herself. She figured she could fake being a social butterfly until it came naturally to an anti-social moth like her. It was exhausting, but it served her well in her career. Her old career, anyway.

"You know, with a small town like this, a new face can really alter the community dynamic. It's exciting!" Maru told Violet. She could tell Maru meant it, too.

"I'm glad to provide some entertainment for you all," Violet replied with a slight nervous laugh. Like Demetrius, Maru had an upfront kind of personality, Violet decided. She was not nearly as stiff as Demetrius, so she probably got the social skills from her mother, Robin. Nothing wrong with that. People who actually said what they were thinking were much easier to read – and therefore handle.

Violet's stomach growled audibly, so she realized it was approaching dinner time. Maru chuckled, "If you're looking for a bite to eat, The Stardrop Saloon is pretty good. You could probably meet a few more of the townsfolk, too."

That was a good point. Violet could not argue with that kind of efficiency, but she could feel herself needing to make a quick escape from the social scene soon. She met a lot of new people today. "Thanks, Maru," she said, "I think I'll do that." Violet waved good-bye and returned to the dirt path around the bushes.

Maru turned to Penny, who sighed with relief as Violet disappeared. "See nothing to worry about!" she assured her shy friend. "You just need to be willing to put yourself out there a little."

"Maybe…" Penny admitted, though she did not sound so sure.

* * *

The Stardrop Saloon was a handsome brick building with ivy creeping up one side. The scrolling font on the sign made it seem more casual than the exterior might suggest. A small sign below read: "Food – Spirits." Violet was certainly in the mood for something to eat, so she entered the bar. Unsurprisingly, the interior looked like something out of an old western and a recording of an old-time piano tinkered in the background.

Violet noticed to the right there was a slightly small room with a few video games, vending machines, and a pool table. So not entirely on-brand, but enough to still be called a saloon. Gus spied Violet as she entered and hailed her over. "Hello, Violet! What will it be?" Violet glanced at the menu and quickly realized her eighty gold was not going to get her anything. "Nothing today, Gus, but thanks. I was told there might be some people in here I haven't met yet." Gus nodded and turned back to his work.

There was a middle-aged blonde woman wearing a noticeable amount of eye shadow sitting at the bar to her left. Violet waved and said hello. "Hey, kid. The name's Pam." She took a swig of her beer and signed with satisfaction. "Nothin' like a sip o' the good stuff to warm these old bones." Violet gave a friendly nod, not really agreeing, but not disagreeing and risk offending Pam, either. Alcohol was not really her thing.

There was a young woman behind the bar with Gus. Her short hair shone a deep, lovely blue and her dress was a ruby red. _I need to find out where she gets her hair dye, that color is so bold._ Violet made her introductions and the young woman did the same. "Oooh! …I can read it on your face." Emily's enthusiasm radiated from her like a bright light. Violet had to admit it was a bit much for her all at once, but she figured she would get used to it with time. "You're going to love it here in Pelican Town," Emily assured her. "If you're ever looking for something to do in the evening, stop by the Saloon. I work here part-time."

"Sure," Violet replied. "Is there a particular night I can come by to meet more people?" She figured who better to ask about the social scene than an employee of the local bar.

Emily's smile widened, "Oh, Friday nights, definitely! A lot of people come by after work to wind down and enjoy the start of the weekend," the bartender informed her. _Everyone is so helpful in this town._ Violet thanked Emily for the information and ambled over to the fireplace. A man with dark hair and five o'clock shadow stood next to the hearth, nursing his pint quietly.

Before Violet even said a word, the man huffed. "I don't know you." _Okay, just roll with it, Violet._ Bracing herself, Violet inhaled deeply before speaking. "Hi, I'm Violet. I'm new in town, and I wanted to say 'hello' to everyone and introduce myself."

It did not seem to matter how friendly Violet tried to be; the disgruntled man avoided reciprocating casual conversation. "Why are you talking to me?" he snapped, not until a disgruntled turtle. Violet exhaled sharply, trying to keep her nerves at bay. It was not working. She could feel a lump in her throat forming.

"Uh… okay. Bye," Violet dismissed herself and briskly exited the saloon. Once she was out the door, she paused for a moment to consider her options. It did not take long before she decided, "That's enough for today!" There was no recovering from that encounter for her. "Better to go home while I'm ahead rather than strike out with someone else." Violet headed west back to the farm to make herself some dinner and rest for the night. She had done well overall today.

* * *

As the newcomer made a quick retreat, Emily shot Shane a disapproving look. "You could have been nicer to Violet," she scolded him. "She's new and just trying to be friendly."

Shane muttered something about how there are always going to be people who do not like you into his mug. But after a moment of contemplation, he sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Don't tell me, tell Violet!" Emily insisted, tapping her painted fingernails on the wood of the bar.

Shane shrugged, "Maybe Friday if I see her again." Taking a sip of his beer, he said, "She might not want to talk to me, though."

"See that you do," the barkeep insisted. "Your aura weighs you down more and more when you pull stunts like that," she countered. Emily gazed out the window dreamily, admiring the flowers. "We all deserve a fresh start each spring, wouldn't you say?"


	5. Told You So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail, Sam, and Sebastian discuss the new farmer they have yet to meet. Maru considers new projects for the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.

**Told You So**

"I can't believe I missed her!" Abigail complained into the phone as she flopped onto her bed.

Sam similarly lay on the bed in his own room, but with his feet up against the exposed brick wall. He shrugged nonchalantly, though no one else could see. "I didn't meet her either." It was not often they had three-way calls rather than meeting in person. "It's no biggie, there's plenty of time."

Abigail groaned in annoyance, "But she was in my house! She bought stuff in dad's shop literally minutes before I came downstairs." Her dad had been so smug about how the new farmer was choosing to work with the "superior business in town" rather than the new Joja Mart. Abigail doubted Violet even knew enough about town to know there was an alternative to her father's store.

"Well, my entire family met her except me," Sebastian said, before inhaling from his cigarette. The sounds of the crickets and other night sounds near the lake soothed him. For once he was not torn up about being the odd one out. He exhaled, releasing a puff of smoke from his lungs. He needed to relax. Maru snapped a picture of the farmer, Violet, with one of her new gadgets. His half-sister was sneaky that way and neither their mother nor Demetrius called her out on the invasion of privacy.

"I heard she has purple hair, too," Sebastian informed his friends. He did not specify that he had seen a picture of her. It looked like she had just washed her face in the pond, because her skin had been so bright it almost sparkled. The hair that framed her face was a bit damp, and she had the healthy glow of exercise. Maru insisted she show him the photo and now he wished he had not given in to her persistence. Sebastian felt uncomfortable. Like he saw something he should not have. And now he could not stop thinking about the way she looked so… breathtakingly serene.

"WHAT?" Abigail shouted into the phone. Both Sam and Sebastian had to hold their phones away from their ears for a few moments until it was safe again. "Ugh, I can't tell if I want to be best friends or mortal enemies," Abigail whined in annoyance. Purple hair was _her_ thing. She could not remember the last time she had to dye it, so at this point her amethyst hair may as well be her trademark. "Is it at least kind of different?"

Sebastian sighed. "I dunno, Maru said it was the same as some subspecies of 'saintpaulia ionanthus.'" She and Demetrius made a game out of finding the closest specimen. Either way, the color suited her well, he noticed from the picture.

Violet… She was generally attractive and looked to be around his age, too. Closer than Abigail, part of him could not help but notice. But why should someone new in town change the feelings he already held for… someone else? It is not like he even knew the new farmer. How could he have a crush on someone he had not even met? Wasn't that something only teens did? This was a complication in his life for which Sebastian was not at all prepared.

"Hey, even if she has the same color hair, I'm sure you can defend your turf, Abigail," Sam interjected, trying to assuage their friend. "I've seen you swing a sword. You get scary!"

Abigail gasped. "What have you heard?" she demanded. Abigail legitimately thought no one knew about her sword training. Once a week she would go to the graveyard near the beach to practice, in the hopes that someday she could explore the mines down to the deeper levels.

For Sam, the streetlights illuminated the stone path in town well enough for him to practice tricks on his skateboard at night. Then there were the bonuses of less foot traffic and no Mayor Lewis out and about to bother him. Nighttime was the best time to practice tricks that required a lot of space and speed. It was working out well for him. Sam noticed his skills had improved significantly. "The graveyard is close to my house and you're not the only one who likes to sneak out at night," Sam informed her with a playful tone.

Sam spotted Abigail practicing with a sword a few times in the graveyard. At first, he was surprised, but after a while it because something he anticipated. Would she be there tonight? He had not meant to spy on her, but there was also the fear that she would accidentally take a swing at him if he surprised her by revealing himself. Or, worse, she would stop doing something she clearly enjoyed just because he found out her secret. Abigail's hacks and swings were choppy and clumsy at first. She had yet to get used to the weight of the sword. Despite all that, she always seemed focused, determined, and with a little bit of rage that both excited and frightened him. Abigail had a serious beast mode and Sam now knew better than to make her legitimately angry. But now, because of his indiscretion, the cat was out of the bag and he told her the truth. She had been found out.

Abigail was crushed. She thought she planned everything out so carefully so she would not be discovered. She practiced alone, though she admitted that having a partner would probably help hone her skills considerably faster. But Abigail was not ready to put herself through the potential embarrassment. What if she was no good?

"Does anything else know?" she asked, mortified. Abigail sincerely hoped that none of their parents knew.

"Your secret is safe with me. Er, us…" Sam promised, remembering that Sebastian was also on the line.

Sebastian had no idea that Abigail practiced swordsmanship. Or why, for that matter. Sure, there were the mines, but those had been blocked off by an enormous boulder for nearly a year now. Joja Corp., the parent company of the Joja Mart in town, told the residents of Pelican Town that they were working to clear it as soon as possible, but who really believed that? The bath house and the railroad were also still obstructed because of the same landslide. Was Abigail training in the hopes the mines would be cleared again? Maybe she was really into LARPing? Probably not the latter, Sebastian decided. "I won't tell," Sebastian added to ease Abigail's mind.

She stared at the fish swimming on the ocean mural of her bedroom wall. They always looked unhappy when she looked at them from below. "Thanks," Abigail muttered, though her pride was clearly hurt. How many people had found her out? At least Sam and Sebastian. If her parents – or anyone else in their generation in town had found out – no one had said anything to her. Maybe she was safe for now. Maybe she could ask them to join her. Maybe… She shook her head and changed the topic. "By the way, I told you so!" she declared triumphantly.

"Told us what?" Sam asked. Had he forgotten something important?

Abigail swung her legs, kicking her heels against the bed frame lightly. "I told you that the new farmer was going to be a girl and that you two were going to make fools of yourselves trying to impress her." She felt a little justified in her annoyance from the previous evening about her friends' assumptions regarding their neighbor. She just hoped the latest arrival to town would not affect her friendships too much. When Elliot moved in, not much changed. He was more the quiet, introspective type. Abigail did not know much about him, despite living relatively close by. Only that he and Leah were friends. In the past year since Elliott moved in, nothing had changed for her social life. The silky-haired man was a safe addition to Pelican Town. Would Violet be the same way? Or would she lose her friends to someone new and exciting?

"No way," Sam pledged to Abigail. "Sure, there's another girl in town, but that's it." He sounded earnest. Sebastian, on the other hand, was silent. That was typical, though, Abigail reminded herself. He could talk to Sam with ease, but for some reason whenever she was around, their mutual friend got quiet. Even after their years of friendship, it was the same. Had she said something? Did Sebastian not like having her around because his secret crush made things awkward? Was she reading too much into it? Abigail would have to wait and see, she supposed.

* * *

Maru climbed down the ladder beneath the trapdoor to her lab. She glanced at the pile of metal in the corner and sighed. Her big project would have to be put on hold for a bit. This was all too interesting to ignore. Recently she created a small drone with video feed attached to catalog local fauna and floral from above without disrupting them in their natural habitat. The project was going smoothly thus far. The drone's camera caught sight of rabbits, squirrels, birds, and even a bear once! But occasionally the drone followed some of the local townsfolk.

Her invention seemed to follow Sam and her brother most often, if it did latch onto a person. Maru's working hypothesis was that it was because their hair resembled the plumage or fur of several birds and animals, but she would have to go back and tinker with the coding to be sure. Either way, the footage gave her interesting data. For one, she had additional supporting evidence that her brother liked Abigail. Maru had several years' worth of data regarding Sebastian's physical reactions to Abigail's touch, laughter, and other what Maru would dub "friendly" or "flirtatious" interactions caused the typical symptoms such as pupil dilation, flushed skin, and a rise in heart rate.

Most of her data came from casual observation as a practicing nurse and scientist, however. Maru would never _purposely_ spy on her brother as a test subject. Even a social experiment had ethical concerns. But then again, it was not as if she meant for her drone to snap pictures of Violet today. Like Sebastian and Sam, Maru guessed that the drone snapped photos because of Violet's hair. It was strikingly similarly to several species of flora, though many of them were not native to the local region. Probably why the drone was so keen on her, Maru reasoned.

Maru had to admit that there were some ethical grey areas because she not only kept the picture of Violet, but also showed it to others. Regardless, when Maru showed him the picture that evening, Sebastian had a similar reaction to her that he normally had toward Abigail. All from just a picture of Violet letting her hair down from a ponytail. Maru wondered at the powers of visual stimulation! Now, her brother's reaction could be because Violet was a novel visual stimulus while Abigail was a familiar face. But without further investigation, Maru could not be sure. It was fascinating, but she knew better than to ask him up front so soon. Sebastian would be too embarrassed and that would not put him in a mood to answer her questions earnestly. No. Unlike Demetrius, she would play things close to her chest. Maru loved her father, but even she had to admit his social intelligence was not as great as his savvy for the hard sciences.

Secondly, the drone caught several reactions from Sam that appeared to indicate a similar interested in Abigail. A stolen glance here, a wider smile he only used when she said something amusing… He just caught himself better, Maru thought. Once again, however, she could not be entirely sure. She could be misinterpreting the data, or… was Sam holding back because he knew Sebastian's feelings for Abigail? Sam and her brother were best friends, after all. Maru had to admit she did not know Sam well, but he seemed like a good friend to Sebastian. Maybe she would not fix the drone's search algorithm just yet…

Finally, she noticed some strange creatures near the old Community Center. The were very careful to avoid the drone's gaze once they realized its presence, but she kept getting glimpses of little apple-shaped organisms in the area. They were as quick to disappear as they were to flash by the camera. The thrill of the hunt for knowledge excited Maru. She had a feeling this would be her year for a breakthrough in her research.


	6. Along the River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet heads south and explores along the river. She meets several of the residents of Pelican Town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.

**Along the River**

Violet once again rose with the sun the next day. It was gorgeous outside, and she was ready to tackle the day after a night of restful sleep. She got dressed, pulled back her hair in a high ponytail, and ate breakfast quickly to make sure she would have plenty of time for other work after she watered her vegetable garden. It was not as if she was going to sit and watch her garden grow all day, after all. She had not even met all her neighbors yet!

As Violet opened her front door, she noticed a heavier man with short brown hair, mustache, and beard on her porch. He was caught off-guard by her sudden appearance. "Uh… Hi there. Good morning."

"Good morning…" Violet responded somewhat cautiously. The man wore a large leather apron, freckled with scorch marks. _Does he make farming equipment?_ Violet wondered. What business did this man have with her? Or was he just a resident in town who wanted to say "hello?" She still was not used to strangers just showing up at her door. Things like this hardly ever happened when she lived in the city.

"I noticed that you've been breaking some rocks open and finding ore. That's good!" he pointed to the pile of rubble from Violet's work the day prior.

"Oh, that ore is usable?" Violet asked, someone surprised. "I didn't realize." She was suddenly glad she just threw it all into a heap rather than trying to dispose of it right away.

The man continued but avoided eye contact. "If you want to get the most out of the ores you find, you'll need a furnace." He shrugged, almost bashfully. "Just so happens I had an extra set of blueprints lying around." A large pair of hands shoved a rolled-up scroll toward her. "Here, I want you to have them."

Before Violet could get a word in edgewise, he explained more about his gift. "The furnace allows you to smelt metal bars. The bars can be used for crafting, construction, and tool upgrades. When you've smelted a few copper bars, consider having me upgrade one of your tools. It can make your work a lot easier."

 _Okay, so he's a smith._ Violet stared at the document, which indeed appeared to be a set of blueprints for a furnace. So many potential projects… She thought of a few things she would like to have around. Sprinklers were on the top of her list, but that was for another day. For now, she would have to settle for watering everything with her watering can. "Thank you, sir…?" Trying to make conversation was difficult without knowing the man's name.

The man shook himself a bit, "Oh, sorry… You can call me Clint." He gestured to his attire. "If you couldn't tell already, I'm the local blacksmith." Violet felt herself relax. Okay, so just another neighbor. She should have known. "I'm Violet, it's nice to meet you Clint." She offered her hand to shake, but he did not seem to notice. Violet let her hand fall back to her side after a few moments of awkward silence.

Clint did not have anything else to say, apparently. "Well, okay. I'm heading home. Take it easy," he said, excusing himself and heading back toward town. Violet had to laugh to herself once he was out of sight. _Oh, goodness, that was awkward. I hate to say it, but at least I'm not_ that _bad. Poor guy. Maybe it will get better once we get to know each other better._

As Violet reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed the little red flag on her mailbox was up. She had mail! Violet opened the mailbox and pulled out the envelope. It was not labeled on the outside whatsoever, so she tore it open to read what it said.

_Hello there,_

_Just got back from a fishing trip. You should come down to the beach some time._

_I've got something for ya._

_\- Willy_

Violet wondered if perhaps this letter was sent to the wrong person because it was not addressed to her by name, but just in case she decided to go down to the beach later that day. The worst scenario would be that she would visit the beach and get some sand in her shoes for nothing.

After watering her garden, Violet thought it was best to clear some of the farmland toward the southern exit of the property. It took several hours, and the work was exhausting, but by the end of it she had quite a bit of wood, stone, and fiber with which to build a few smaller items. The first thing she wanted was a storage bin. Building the container did not take as long as she thought it would, which was a pleasant surprise. She stowed her watering can in it along with several items in her bag to free up some precious space.

Violet snagged a bite to eat – a leftover leek dish from the previous night – and headed south to explore more of her new town. The path opened almost immediately and branched out in all directions. To the east was what Violet could only assume was Marnie's ranch. The building was an earthy brown with a bright red roof and there was a large penned-in area that enclosed several dairy cows. The sparkle of sunlight on the water through the trees told Violet that a lake resided to her west. There were signs of another building, but Violet had no idea who might live there. So, curiosity led Violet south toward the green and brown structure.

It was a cute little cottage, Violet decided. A bit smaller than her own, but that did not take away from its charm. She spotted a young woman with light auburn hair gazing out at the river. _She must live here, too,_ Violet thought. The new farmer was careful to make plenty of noise as she approached. Violet knew what it was like to be startled by someone sneaking up on them and she would not allow that to be her first impression on one of her closest neighbors.

The woman turned her head to face Violet as she approached. Her bands were side-swept, and she kept her hair in a neat braid to one side. She was pretty and her smile assured Violet that she was not a snob about it. "Hello, it's nice to meet you," she said in a quiet, but friendly tone.

"I'm Violet," the new farmer introduced herself with a sheepish shrug.

"Leah," the woman replied, providing her name. "You picked a good time to move here… The spring is lovely." She gestured to the landscape around them and the soothing sounds of the river emphasized her point. Leah saw a few dandelion stalks and took a mental note to pluck them from the ground for a salad later that day.

"You have a beautiful view from your house. I can see why you decided to live along the river," Violet told Leah, trying to make conversation. She was a little jealous of the view, but also reminded herself that she would not be able to farm if she lived here.

Leah's smile widened at the compliment, "Yeah, I get a lot of my inspiration out here. It's a great place to work." Her mind drifted to potential sketches as she spied few fish among the submerged roots of a tree along the water's edge. One jumped to snag a passing insect.

 _Work?_ Violet tilted her head in confusion and chose to get more details. "Do you farm, too?" she asked. She did not see any plots of land to grow food.

Leah laughed. "No, I'm an artist. I find that living in a small cottage in the forest is great for getting creative." She inhaled deeply, taking in all the smells around them. "Doesn't this place just make you feel so… alive?"

Violet had to admit that comparatively, she felt much better after leaving the city. Her stress levels plummeted, and she was sleeping better than she could remember ever having done so before. But to be fair, she had only been in the valley a few days. Maybe this was a kind of honeymoon period? She hoped not. "It's so peaceful," Violet agreed. "I could get used to this feeling..."

The artist flashed another smile. "I hope you do, Violet." She wanted to make the new farmer feel welcome. Leah could recall when she was new to the valley and how difficult it was to make friends until Elliott came along last year. Her life as an artist was rewarding for her creative process, but it got lonely sometimes. That reminded her, "Oh, my friend Elliott lives on the beach. If you see him, be sure to say 'hi!'"

"Of course," Violet promised. A warm, fuzzy feeling blossomed in her chest. _Oh, I wanna be best friends!_ Violet cried internally. _She seems so sweet and totally chill._ Violet thanked her and asked where she could find the beach.

"Just follow the path along this river east until you get to the graveyard. You'll want to go around that just to the southeast and you'll find a stone bridge that takes you across the river to the beach," Leah informed her.

Violet voiced her appreciation as she left. "You are awesome, thanks so much Leah!" _Another positive encounter with a neighbor!_ Violet thought triumphantly. Physically, Violet was already tired, but her emotional state had not been better in years. Most people in Pelican Town were friendly and helpful. It was all so different from life in the city.

She passed several houses and the small graveyard on the way to the beach. Violet wondered who lay to rest in this small burial ground but decided she would check it out another time. It was not long before the sturdy stone bridge that served as her landmark came into view. _I had no idea I was so close to the beach this entire time,_ Violet thought. She was more of a mountain person, but even Violet could appreciate time on the beach when she would not be fried to a crisp by her frenemy in the sky. Maybe on an overcast day…

The beach had a certain charm to it. The stretch of sand was not enormous, but a good size for such a small town. As she looked around for tiny sea shells, Violet noticed a strange squiggling on the sand at her feet. Out of curiosity, she dug it up using her hoe. She had expected a beach creature, such as a hermit crab, but instead she found some glass shards. Sea glass, Violet supposed. It could make an interesting piece of jewelry or part of a sun-catcher, so she dropped them in into a slot in her bag.

A few feet away, a similar patch wriggled under the sand. Once again, she dug it up. This time, she found a rusty piece of metal. It did not look valuable, but maybe someone lost something? Violet fit it into another slot of her bag.

Violet did not see anyone else on the beach, so she approached the docks. Sure enough, a man with a crimson shirt and patched-up cap stood at the opposite end. He was smoking from a pipe as if his life depended on it. The scruffy man noticed Violet, and hailed her over with an "Ahoy there!" As she got closer, he gave her an approachable smile. Violet could see the deep lines on his face and she wondered if this man was in fact as old as she thought, or if it was the wind and sea that aged him. "Heard there was a newcomer in town. Good to finally meet ya."

"Yes, I'm Violet,: she replied. "You must be Willy," Violet stated, showing him the note. Willy offered a leathery hand to properly introduce himself. "You bet ya." A breeze blew the pipe smoke that he held in his opposite hand into Violet's face. Despite her attempt to suppress it, she coughed, and the sailor apologized. "Ah… I'm still tryin' to unwind from a month out on the salty seas…" He extinguished the pipe and tucked it away. Violet nodded gratefully.

"It was a big haul!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out wide to indicate the size of his catch. "I sold a lot of good fish. Finally saved me enough money to buy a new rod," Willy said, whipping out the new rod and pantomiming reeling in an especially large fish. "Here, I want you to have my old fishing rod. It's important to me that the art o' fishing stays alive." He handed her a bamboo pole. Then, with a mischievous wink, he added, "And hey, maybe you'll buy something from the shop once in a while." Ah, so that was his aim. Nothing wrong with a man trying to stir up some business.

Violet had never been a skilled at fishing, but she supposed she could give it a try. Seeing the doubtful look all over her face, Willy gave her some encouragement. "There's good water here in the valley. All kinds o' fish. Tasty ones," he added fondly. Violet imagined that as a fisherman, Willy liked a lot of seafood. She could not deny she was a huge fan herself. She wondered if there was anywhere in town to get sushi. Violet doubted it, but perhaps she would finally learn how to make some. Then she could eat as much as she wanted where no snooty waiters could judge her.

Willy had clearly been reminiscing about a catch, or perhaps a certain meal. He returned his thoughts to the present to say, "Oh yeah. My shop's back open now, so come by if you need supplies. I'll also buy anything you catch. 'If it smells, it sells.'" He chuckled quietly. "That's what my ol' Pappy used to say, anyway."

The young woman thanked the fisherman for the pole and made her way back toward the beach. She noticed that Willy immediately resumed smoking his pipe. He inhaled deeply and gazed out over the ocean. It seemed like he was relieved to be back on shore. At least for now. Violet supposed that sailor could not be at sea all the time.

The new farmer decided to comb the beach again for any nice shells before she left. While she did not find any, she noticed a broken wooden bridge that went from the beach to what appeared to be a series of tide pools. Violet figured she could probably fix it if she had enough wood. She pondered a moment, trying to guesstimate her current inventory back home. Her current stores did not have enough, but if she cleared a few more trees on the farm, she would probably have it. She liked tide pools a lot. They were each their own tiny ecosystem. It was like a natural fish tank, only it re-set each time the tide came back in. Violet committed herself to fixing the bridge soon and left the beach to look around town.

She did not expect someone on the stone bridge and luckily, she dug in her heels to bring herself from running into someone with long, silky brown hair.

"Ah, the new farmer we've all been expecting..." a male voice spoke. "And whose arrival has sparked many a conversation!" there was intrigue in his voice. Violet looked up to see a beautiful man clad in a crisp white shirt with a grass green tie and an old-fashioned maroon overcoat with long coattails. While the clothes were not a modern fashion, they suited him. The man looked as if Mr. Darcy and Fabio had a secret love child, she thought with amusement and awe.

"I'm Elliott..." the elegant man gave her a little bow.

"Oh." Violet did not expect the best friend Leah told her about to look like the love interest on a romance novel cover.

"I live in the little cabin by the beach," Elliott explained, gesturing back the way she came. Violet had seen the little shack on the beach. It was not much, but then again, it was probably the size of most apartments back in the city. Not to mention it was beachfront property. The gentleman extended his hand to take hers and gave the back of her hand a small peck with his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you." His voice had an almost sing-song quality to it as he spoke.

Elliott had strong cheek bones, a pleasing jaw line, and eyes like dark, molten honey, Violet noticed. She shook her head, shaking her out of her private thoughts. "I'm Violet. It's wonderful to meet your acquaintance." She thought she would meet in the middle with the flowery language. "Leah told me I might find you around here."

"Leah, what a dear friend," Elliott said, almost dreamily. "If I were not so inspired by the sweet songs of the shore, I would adore living a cozy cottage in the woods. It would reflect the life of an author so well, don't you think?"

"Uh, yes, of course," Violet agreed. "Like Thoreau on Walden Pond." Elliott's eyes lit up at her understanding of his desire.

"How marvelous that you recognize the sentiment!" he exclaimed with gusto. The breeze teased his flowing locks dramatically as he took her hand again. "I simply must have your opinion on my work if you would be so kind. That is – of course – when I have more material to present to your discerning eyes!"

 _Oh, my goodness. I had no idea men like him existed in the real world_. Violet's cheeks flushed, "Honestly, I don't know much about poetry, just the basics. If all you are looking for is spelling and grammar mistakes, I can help you with those, but I will not be much help otherwise." Elliott did not seem to take that for an answer, so Violet added, "The creative process is entirely individual, wouldn't you agree?" trying to channel her inner Elizabeth Bennett.

Elliott considered this a moment, "Hm, yes. I suppose it is... I shall consider your wise words." He let go of her hand, "In the meantime, I simply must get back to work to take full advantage of my current state of original thought. I am suddenly struck with inspiration!" Almost as soon as Violet had encountered Elliott, he trotted back toward the beach. She had to admit he was handsome and acted kindly enough, but his over-the-top personality might be a little bit much for her to handle for an entire day. Violet sighed, realizing how tired that short talk made her. Elliott took more out of her than she thought.

 _Oh, well_. Violet scanned the area and decided to explore the other parts of town she had not yet seen. Since she saw a few buildings she did not recognize, Violet crossed the stone bridge back into town and headed further east. A grand house with light grey paint and a dark roof loomed over on her left. _That's probably where Lewis lives,_ Violet thought to herself. From what her grandpa used to say about the Mayor, it made sense. Only he would have such a large, grand house for just one person. Or at least, that was her grandfather's opinion. Either way, she was not to the point where she felt comfortable just barging into people's houses unannounced and without an invitation. Some other time, perhaps.

The river continued along the length of the town, so Pelican must have been built here due to its proximity to the river which fed into the ocean, the forest, and the mountains. It was a beautiful place to live and the Valley had a bounty to offer its residents, Violet could not deny that. Part of her wondered why the population was so small, but the other half of her was thankful that Pelican Town had remained this way. After all, she was not looking to live in the hustle and bustle of the city anymore.

* * *

After crossing another stone bridge across the same river as before, Violet entered a green building whose roof was covered in purple-tinged slate tiles and a plum colored door to match. Her expectation was that the structure was the local library because the depiction of an open book above the doorway. The farmer was half-right. The man she spied inside seemed overwhelmed and jumped at the sight of her.

Violet's eyes were immediately drawn to the empty tables around the room, but there were bookshelves, too. "Is this... the library?" she questioned the man. He looked like he could be the villain in an old western, only he wore denim from head to toe. It was almost a comedic look, but she certainly would not say so aloud.

He approached her immediately, "Why, yes, it is miss. But it is much more than that. I am Gunther, the curator of our local museum!" he announced. "Though I do admit, it is a sorry excuse for a museum if we have nothing out on display to the public." He took off her denim cowboy hat, as if in mourning.

"Did something happen?" Violet asked, though she immediately regretted it as the man went into a tirade about the stolen artifacts. He made it sound like a high-risk heist the robbers pulled, rather than snagging relics from an old building with what appeared to be no security other than the typical lock on the front door.

She thought she would offer herself an out, "What about these?" Violet queried the man as she pulled the items she found on the beach from her pack. His dark eyes lit up. "What's this? You found something? Let me see it!"

He examined the old rusty cog and the sea glass as if they were true treasures. "Remarkable! It's very old," he said about the cog. "I'd love to study this in greater detail… But it is yours." Violet was about to tell Gunther to just keep them, but she did not get the chance.

"Hm… I've got a favor to ask you. Would you consider donating any new artifacts or minerals that you find? We could make a groundbreaking discovery together!" Violet seriously doubted the things she might dig up around town would be that interesting, but she played along.

"Sure…" she responded in the most non-committal tone she could. Gunther did not seem to notice, "Oh, and who knows… If you keep donating, I might come across some interesting items to send your way." He winked, confident that the vague promise of a prize would entice her. "Think about it, will you? If you decide to donate, just bring the objects to the front desk."

Violet surrendered the sea glass shards and the rusty old cog. To her surprise, Gunther paid her two hundred fifty gold for the items. _Huh, maybe this will be worth my time after all._ She had enough money to buy something at The Stardrop Saloon Friday evening. Excellent! Violet thanked Gunther and returned to the world outside.

Immediately upon her exit, Violet spied a familiar face standing by the river bend. Penny appeared to be supervising two children: a boy and a girl. _Does Penny have kids? No way._ _I know my age range guesses are terrible, but not_ that _bad._ Upon closer inspection, neither of the kids looked like Penny, so they were most likely kids from town. Violet waved to her, but Penny did not take notice. Her focus was on the gentle, mesmerizing flow of the river down toward the beach.

That did not stop the little boy from running up to Violet and enthusiastically shouting, "Oh, a stranger!" That got Penny's attention. She sprang into action, running toward him and the supposed stranger, but slowed down to a casual walk when she realized the person to whom the boy was referring was the new farmer. The shy red head greeted Violet with a muted, "Hello, Violet."

The child, not to be put out, continued bouncing and bounding around. Clearly, he had a lot of energy to get out of such a tiny body. "My name's Vincent," he told Violet in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "Momma says not to talk to strangers…" he paused, squinting his eyes at her. "But you seem okay..." The boy grinned in such a goofy manner that Violet could not help but laugh.

The young girl, whose dark hair was pulled back in bouncy pigtails, was not as forthcoming. All she could muster was a squeaky, "… Hi…" before she hid behind Penny. The woman smiled at the girl. "This is Jas. She's Marnie's niece," Penny informed Violet. She arched to look at Jas, ducked behind her legs. "Violet is the new farmer that lives at the old farm by your ranch, Jas." The child gave Violet a curious look but did not leave her hiding spot behind Penny.

"And that little ball of energy is Vincent. He is Sam's little brother and their mother is Jodi. Their father is… out of the country right now." Penny was not sure if it was her place to discuss, so she decided to be vague on the details. "So, what brings you out this way?" Penny questioned. The farmer suspected Penny was forcing herself to be more talkative around the kids, to set an example.

"Oh, just exploring. I haven't seen the whole town or all the neighbors yet. I don't know Sam or Jodi, so I guess I still have some introductions to make," Violet said sheepishly. "I don't normally put myself out there so much, but I suppose my 'polite new neighbor' mode overrides that."

Violet noticed the tiniest of curves to Penny's lips. _Ha, she thought that was funny!_ "So, do you take care of Jas and Vincent for their parents?" Violet tried her best to keep some form of conversation going.

Penny cast her gaze downward. "I teach the children here in town," she said meekly.

"You're a teacher?" Violet echoed. "That's awesome. Is there a school or do you all do more of a free-form outdoor education here in Pelican Town?"

Penny shuffled her feet, trying to conceal her embarrassment. "I'm not a licensed teacher, but I do my best to give Vincent and Jas an education."

"Oh, no big deal," Violet assured the teacher. "There are lots of different ways to effectively teach, you don't have to get a license for that. Kids learn things from their older siblings and parents all the time. That doesn't mean anything." She immediately reconsidered her words, "Not to say that what you're doing isn't important, I just mean – Ugh."

Violet tried to re-focus the conversation to something more positive for Penny. She did not want to make things more awkward than she already made them. " I think it's wonderful that you stepped up to help them out." Violet attempted to sound as genuine as she could. "The kids seem to like you a lot," Violet noted as she saw Jas slowly wander away from Penny to play again. Upon noticing that Violet was looking at her, however, she quickly darted back into hiding behind her teacher. It was cute. Penny smiled and patted Jas' head but did not say anything.

"I… don't want to scare Jas any more than I already have, so I'm going to get going," Violet chuckled. The pastel-haired woman thought that maybe Penny could use a break, too, but did not want to say. "I hope to see you around." Penny nodded and went to corral Vincent to head back home.

* * *

Sam kept watch at his usual post adjacent to the bushes across from Mayor Lewis' house. He tried to be subtle, but he wanted to keep an eye on Vincent when he was so close to the water. It was not that Sam did not trust Penny, but his little brother did not swim well, and the kid was constantly getting into trouble. Vincent reminded Sam of himself in his younger days that way. Besides, Sam promised his dad, that he would keep the family safe while he was off to war, and that was his intention.

He saw Vincent run up to a woman he did not recognize, but Penny seemed to know her. Maybe the new farmer? She was cute enough, he supposed, but Sam did not see why Abigail was so worried. Yeah, the new girl's hair was also a shade of purple, but it was not at all like hers. Penny and the new farmer talked for a while and then the newcomer started to walk his way.

Sam tried to keep it cool. Should he meet the new farmer now? Answering all of Abigail and Sebastian's questions regarding the newest member of Pelican Town would be a chore. He hated chores and luckily his mom did not make him do any, but he also did not want undue influence on his friend's opinions on the newbie.

So, should he wait until the whole gang was there? After all, Emily told everyone to come to The Stardrop Saloon Friday evening – as if that was not already a tradition for many of them – to meet the town's latest resident. That might be safer, but it was not as if Sam was afraid to talk to her. Just of the potential consequences of meeting her before the others. It was a delicate balance.

Sam decided on option three. His favorite, in fact: evasion! If she caught up, he would say "hi" and if she did not, they would meet another day. Destiny was in her hands now. Sam hopped on his skateboard and rolled off toward his house. He figured at this point it was safe to wait for Penny to bring Vincent back home.

As Violet headed back toward the heart of town, a person whizzed by ahead of her on a skateboard. The clack of the wheels on the cobblestones made a rhythmic rattle that sounded like a machine. The figure was gone in a flash, but the general shape and attire convinced her the mystery skater was probably male. Violet never saw his face, just a flash of gold hair and blue jeans. _No helmet,_ Violet noted, _it would probably ruin all the hard work he put into his skater hair._ She smirked to herself.

Of course, Violet considered trying to chase after the yellow streak, but all the work from the farm this morning wore her out and she desired leisurely strolling today. She had plenty of time to meet everyone and Violet told herself that she had already done enough today. The sun was starting to set, and the crickets were beginning their nightly tune. So, Violet decided to go home to work on some crafting projects.


	7. Moms and Cherry Bombs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet meets the moms of Pelican Town, makes a doctor appointment, and plays with some cherry bombs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.

**Moms and Cherry Bombs**

The third morning went by like the others, the only difference being that she lost one of her parsnips to a crow. She chased the bird off but realized that she would need to make a scarecrow or some other deterrent to keep her crops safe. Violet decided that would likely be a project for the weekend since she did not have the slightest clue where to begin. Maybe she could get some tips from someone in town?

Today, she decided to take the direct route to town, which passed the bus stop. Curious if she would find any forageable plants to sell, Violet searched the area and found a few horseradish and leeks but left the dandelions where they grew. The air was still a little cool, but even the inexperienced farmer noticed the difference in the last few days. It was starting to really feel like Spring. The woman was beginning to enjoy her new routine: water the garden, clear a little land, forage, and then head into town for a while.

On this particular day, Violet saw two women chatting in the square. One of them spotted Violet and waved her over. While they were certainly not old, the two looked like they might be parents for some of the younger people in town. The new farmer did not expect the emerald green hair of the first woman.

"Hello!" the green-haired woman said in greeting. While she did not shake hands, her lips tugged back in a warm and friendly smile. "You must be Violet, the new farmer. I'm Caroline," she said.

Violet nodded, "Yeah, that's me. It's good to finally meet you, Caroline."

Caroline bobbed her head in agreement and gestured toward Pierre's. "My husband runs the general store here," she explained. Violet honestly did not expect Pierre to be married for some reason. He was always in his shop, but she supposed there was a house attached to the store and it was certainly large enough to house a family.

Caroline gestured to the woman next to her. Her brunette hair was twisted into a braid and draped over her right shoulder. She seemed tired and Violet noticed some worry lines on her face, but the other woman had done her best to hide it, "Oh! You aren't exactly how I imagined..." she trailed off for a moment. "…but that's okay!" she swore to Violet with a motherly pat. "I'm Jodi."

Violet acknowledged her introduction and Jodi continued, "It's a quiet little town, so it's very exciting when someone new moves in!" Violet chucked. This was not the first time someone had said it and it probably would not be the last. "Having a farmer around could really change things."

Violet was not sure what to think of Jodi's commentary on both her appearance and being a farmer but did not say anything to make a fuss. "So, are either of you Vincent or Jas' mom?"

Jodi volunteered to answer first, "Vincent's my youngest. He's a handful, just like his brother Sam was at that age."

"So you have two boys," the farmer stated. "Are they close?" Violet wondered out loud. She had only ever encountered siblings that were either at each other's throats or obnoxiously harmonious. Violet thought of her older brother, Zach. They had hated each other for years, but now that they were living their own separate lives, seeing each other around the holidays had not been so bad. Violet chatted with her brother every once and a while and that seemed to keep the peace and their familial connection alive well enough. Had she told him that she was moving to Pelican Town? _I should probably do that…_

Jodi beamed, "Oh, Vincent loves his older brother, which is probably why he gets into so much mischief." The mother seemed to contemplate how to best describe her eldest. "Sam is sweet, but he does like to blast his music. And that skateboard of his makes me worry sometimes, but he's gotten much better with it than he was years ago." That confirmed to Violet that Sam was the mystery skater from yesterday. The boys' mother shook her head, "Oh, Sam used to come home with all sorts of scrape and cuts, but that boy was always so happy riding his skateboard, Kent and I didn't have the heart to stop him."

Her fingers began to fiddle with her braid, "Their dad – my husband, Kent – is out of the country for a while. We hope he'll be back next year, but we have not heard for sure."

A sympathetic hand from Caroline rested on Jodi's shoulder. "Kent will be just fine, Jodi, I'm sure of it." Jodi nodded quietly and Violet could see she was starting to tear up but did not want to cry. The brunette had to excuse herself for a moment.

Caroline put her arm around Violet so that the two gave Jodi a little privacy. "Kent is in Gotoro," she explained quietly.

"Oh," the realization struck Violet like a boulder. Kent was overseas with the military. There was no guarantee he would return safely, which is why Jodi had started crying when she brought up her husband. Violet could not imagine the fear and anxiety Jodi must be experiencing. The younger woman nodded in understanding and Caroline continued the conversation as it had been before Jodi left to take her leave. "I do have a daughter, but Abigail is all grown," the green-haired woman told the newcomer. "She's the pale one with the purple hair. I would say she's probably your age, maybe a little younger."

 _That could literally describe me, too._ Violet hoped they did not look too similar. Not that she thought people would confuse them, Abigail had been here in Pelican much longer than Violet. No, she just did not want to cause any drama in such a small town and if Abigail were the kind of girl to care about someone else stealing her "look" it could lead to problems. "No, I haven't met her," Violet confessed. "Will she be at the saloon on Friday evening?"

"Oh, yes," Caroline confirmed, "Abigail, Sam – Jodi's oldest- and Sebastian all get together there on Friday evenings. It's their little tradition," she said sweetly, in the way some parents found their children's friendships cute, even when they were grown.

Violet was a bit relieved she would not have to chase down everyone in town. _If I don't happen to run into any of them, I'll definitely see them on Friday._ It was nice to have those kinds of traditions with friends, Violet thought fondly. She remembered the little rituals she, Bex, and their other friends had back in high school. Big sleepovers with the girls at least once a month with junk food, anime, and Dungeons and Dragons. The boys were only welcome during the hours of 8 AM to midnight, but that did not stop them all from getting together. The guys all had their own sleepover for the hours they were not allowed to be in the same house as their female friends.

The joke was on the parents, though. Some of the girls were not straight or were at the very least curious and she recalled several times catching Bex making out with a mutual friend in a dark corner or under the cover of a sleeping bag. Luckily, that sort of thing only caused drama once, so the friend group remained virtually intact. Violet wondered if the same thing happened with the boys. Not that they would ever tell. They had their own secrets between midnight at 8 AM, Violet was sure of it.

In any case, Violet asked if she might find anyone else nearby. Caroline thought for a moment, "Oh, right. Doctor Harvey often walks in the park you just passed on the way into town. He likes to get a little exercise to break up his day at the clinic."

* * *

Doctor Harvey was exactly where Caroline said he would be, pacing in the small park on the west side of town. He seemed preoccupied with something heavy on his mind, but perhaps he was just deep in thought about a patient. Violet made sure to step on a few twigs in the grass, so she would not sneak up on him.

The mustached man looked her way as he heard the sounds of her approach. The lenses in his frames were thick for someone as young as he appeared, but Violet supposed that did not mean much. His brown hair was parted in favor of the right side of his face and his mustache has a slight upward curl to it. Violet wondered what he would look like without it but found visualizing it more difficult than she thought.

"You must be Violet," he declared. His mustache wiggled when he spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Harvey, the local doctor."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Violet responded. She was getting tired of saying that to everyone, but it was only polite. "So… I guess you're my guy if I feel sick?"

Harvey nodded, "I perform regular check-ups and medical procedures for all the residents of Pelican Town," he muttered something under his breath along the lines of _"at least for those that care about their health."_

Violet tried to keep a straight face but could not maintain her composure. She cracked a smile. "So, I should go ahead and schedule my appointment then, huh?"

Harvey blinked behind his glasses. He had not expected Violet to be so proactive and forward. "Oh, of course, if you would like. I could always use more patients. Let me see what I have available…" he fished a small pocketbook out of the inner folds of his green jacket. He flipped through a few pages, mumbling under his breath. _I'm already booked for the normal appointment slots the whole year,_ Harvey realized. _I don't normally do clinic appointments on festival days, but she seems to be young and in good health, so it shouldn't take long._ "Does the 11th of Summer work for you?"

Violet shrugged, "Why not? That's the longest-term commitment I have right now." _That's a Thursday,_ Violet reminded herself. She was terrible with dates and did not have anything to write it down. Violet hoped she would remember.

Harvey jotted down a few notes and found a business card. He wrote her appointment date on the back and handed it to her. "This is so you don't have to remember yourself. You wouldn't believe how easy these things are to forget."

Gratefully, Violet took the reminder card and put it in the back pocket of her jeans. The front pockets were fake and that drove her a little crazy, but she worked with what was available. "What's it like being a small-town doctor?" she asked Harvey.

He pushed his glasses, which had slid down when he was writing, back up the bridge of his nose. "It's rewarding work," he said with a few nods of his head, as if try to reassure himself. He gestured generally at Violet, "I hope you'll find your own work equally rewarding, in time. You are new to farming, aren't you?"

"How did you guess?" Violet acknowledged, trying not to sound aggressively sarcastic.

Harvey pointed at her hands, "Well, for one you have some blisters developing on your hands. And secondly… you're starting to look a little pink." Violet knew about the blisters and had done her best to keep them clean and covered. However, she had not noticed the tinge of sunburn on her face. "I suggest either sunscreen or a wide-brimmed hat and clothing that covers your body," Harvey was using his on-the-clock professional voice, Violet could tell.

"Will do, doc," she saluted. Now that she knew she was getting sunburn, Violet started to feel a bit warm. "In fact, I'll go home and see what I can scrounge up right now. Thanks!" She did not want to be a lobster when she met the rest of the town on Friday, so Violet went back to Fairy Rose Farm to devise a plan of defense against her nemesis the sun.

* * *

Perhaps it was a bit of vanity, but Violet made sure to get most of her farming down before 9:30 the next morning. She stuck to the shade and made sure to stay hydrated. Violet was glad she spoke to Harvey yesterday, because the pink on her face had turned to a slight – and she meant slight – tan rather than something more damaging. She knew she had been lucky and did not want to tempt fate anymore than she already had with her hubris. Violet dug around the storage bins in the house and found one of her grandfather's old straw hats. It was not a good look for her, but she was on her own property. At this point Violet figured the people who wanted to come by to say "hello" had already done so.

Sticking to the cover of the trees, Violet went down to the Cindersap Forest to forage. Leah was on her way elsewhere and could not stay to chat but tipped her off to the location of some tasty spring onions. It was a bit of a trek to cross the lake, though it did not bother Violet. She found the onions where Leah's instructions had guided her. The female farmer did not take them all, just enough to flavor some meals and a few to sell to Pierre. After all her foraging, Violet returned to the farm.

Under the canopy of a pine tree grove, Violet sat down and made herself a furnace. The blueprints Clint had provided were amazing. She never thought that she would ever be able to make something so alien to her, but sure enough it all came together functionally. There was an additional document tucked in among the folds of the blueprint. Instructions for making a cherry bomb. Violet had only ever used sparklers as her form of pyrotechnic entertainment. Sure, she had seen fireworks, but she never lit them herself and she had always wanted to do so. The young woman had to admit she was tempted. With a few of the leftover copper ores and some coal from clearing the rocks on her farm, Violet made a handful of cherry bombs. She was not sure what to do with them just yet, so she tucked them in her bag and went inside to rest and make something to eat.

Violet was getting tired of uncooked food. Not that everything required cooking, but it was a huge part of her old routine that she missed. She could almost taste the cookies she would bake every weekend. The thought motivated her, so she made sure to dress in cool clothing that would cover her arms and kept her hair down to protect her neck from its assailant in the sky. Violet decided to go to Robin's carpentry shop so she would know what she was up against. She wanted that kitchen badly.

The farmer took the northern route up the ridge to Robin's shop in the mountains. Violet wanted to avoid any unnecessary human interaction as much as possible. Her reserves were depleted, and she knew she would have to re-charge for tomorrow evening at The Stardrop Saloon. She ambled up the mountain at a leisurely pace, admiring all the beauty the mountain had to offer. It was still a lot to take in. She was not used to so much green and fresh air. Violet knew this was far better than the city, at least for her peace of mind. This whole valley had a calming effect on her.

The sun was starting to dip in the sky, indicating late afternoon when she got to the carpentry shop. Violet realized she got there just in time when she reached the door. Business hours were almost over. She should have known, but she was caught off-guard. "Oh, hi Robin," Violet said apologetically.

Robin looked up from the counter she stood behind and smiled, "Violet! It's so good to see you. How are you today?"

"I'm doing well," Violet told the carpenter. "I was actually hoping to get a quote from you really quickly if it's not too much to ask. I know you're about to close." She hated being that customer.

Robin shook her head, dismissing the apologetic tone, "No worries. What can I help you with?"

"I'm interested in one of your house upgrades," Violet informed the her. "Does one of them include adding a kitchen to my house? I can't stand not having one. I miss cooking." Perhaps that was not wise to admit, since Violet was about to negotiate, but it was too late now.

Robin smiled knowingly, "I completely understand!" she agreed. "Well, Violet, I charge ten thousand gold and require four hundred and fifty pieces of wood for the lumber."

A small gasp escaped Violet's lungs as the hope drained out of her. It was going to be a while till she could cook at home again. Violet nodded, indicating she understood the information Robin provided. "I see. I guess it will have to be another time," she lamented. The wood was no problem. She had plenty of trees on her farm, but the price in gold was too steep for her to handle right now. It was a shame.

Robin felt badly for the girl, but she needed to make a living, too. This was a small town, so jobs were few and far between, which drove up the costs. "I'll let you know the next time I have any specials going on, okay?" she gave Violet a wink.

Violet gave her a smile, "Thank you, I appreciate that." The clock struck 5:00 PM and business hours were officially over. Robin came around the counter and put a hand on Violet's elbow, "Wait right here, would you, dear?" she disappeared down the hallway. There was a bit of a clanking, but Robin returned a few minutes later with something wrapped in a bright cloth with all four corners tied together at the top like a handle. "I know you miss home cooking, so I thought this might help. It's nothing fancy, but I hope you'll accept it."

The new farmer was a bit overwhelmed by Robin's kindness. Normally, Violet would tell Robin she could not accept the meal, but it would be rude not to take it. The food was still warm, the heat radiated through the dish and through the fabric. "I don't know what to say…" Violet almost whispered. "Th-thank you, Robin, that's so sweet."

Robin gave her a motherly smile and gently ushered Violet out of the shop to the exit, "Well, one of these days we'll have you over for a real sit-down dinner, but this will have to do for now." Robin liked the new girl and wanted to be neighborly, but she and Demetrius had other plans this evening. "Don't worry about the container, you can return it anytime."

Violet nodded and gave Robin a quick hug, thanking her again. "I will be back for a house upgrade once I save up the money," she assured the carpenter. "And of course, to return your Tupperware before then."

With that she was very politely kicked out. Violet didn't mind. She had a home-cooked meal now. She separated the fabric and peeled the lid off just a bit to peek inside. It was spaghetti. "Oh… it has meat sauce, too," Violet's stomach growled just from the scent. Robin had kindly provided a fork and some napkins, too.

Dusk was quickly approaching, and Violet made an executive decision to have a picnic at the nearby lake rather than let the spaghetti get cold and have no way of properly re-heating it. She walked east to the lake and looked around for a suitable spot to eat her meal. There were several wooden planks that connected the shore to smaller islands, but Violet did not want to walk across those in the dark. Maybe another daytime picnic spot, though. She followed the shoreline up north to a larger plank bridge, but a large boulder blocked the path to the other side. Looking south, it was a gorgeous view, however. Violet could see the islands and most of the lake water. As a bonus, if she sat on the plank next to the ugly boulder, she would not have to look at it.

She settled down on the makeshift bridge and opened the Tupperware. The spaghetti twirled around her fork with satisfying ease. Violet lifted the overloaded utensil to her mouth and took a bite. She could have cried it tasted so delicious. The young woman set aside the container for just a moment and removed her socks and shoes so she could dangle them in the water as she looked out over the lake. The water was a bit chilly, but as she resumed consuming the pasta it warmed her from the inside.

Even after her meal, Violet sat in contentment, humming songs about spaghetti to herself. Unsurprisingly, she could only remember the one song about a meatball rolling off the plate and onto the floor, so her tune did not last long. The insects were in full force for their nightly symphony and the moon was starting to rise. Violet noticed a strange orange glow near the shore to the southwest. It was dull, then burned bright-hot, as a patch of smoke rose into the sky. It took her a moment, but she realized it was someone smoking a cigarette. Fortunately for her, there was no breeze to carry the smoke her way. She could not stand the smell of tobacco. Her paternal grandfather had smoked most of his life, and while she loved him, the smell of it always reminded her of him lying in his hospital bed before he passed. _He was too young…_ Violet shook her head to banish the memory.

Then, there was a rustling in the tall grass beside the plank. The young woman froze, scanning the reeds for any sign of the creature that made the sound. Behind her, the noise came again, and a shadow darted toward her with such speed that Violet lost her balance trying to move out of its way. She screamed as she fell into the dark water below.

* * *

The clanging in the kitchen is what brought Sebastian's attention away from his work. He swung his legs out from under his desk and got up to make sure his mother was okay. For a woman who worked with razor-sharp tools in her profession, his mother could be incredibly clumsy.

He started up the stairs when he heard an unfamiliar voice. He paused, listening for a moment. The raven-haired man could not quite hear the words, but the voice was pleasant. A woman's voice. He waited a while longer until he heard footsteps and the front door closing. Finally, he ventured onto the ground floor, "What was that about?" he asked Robin.

His mother turned to face him, "Oh, you just missed the new farmer, Violet," she told him. Sebastian thought he detected some regret in his mother's voice. Like meeting the newest member of Pelican Town was that important. "Do you want me to call her back in so you can meet her?"

"No," he replied, too quickly. "Uh, no, it's fine. I'll probably just meet her tomorrow at the saloon like everyone keeps saying." While it was a tradition to destroy Sam in pool every Friday night, once Emily started telling everyone they had to come, it made him not want to do it. Maybe it was a bit immature of him, but Sebastian did not like it when he was told, not asked to do something.

Robin pondered something for a moment, then said, "Of course, Sebby. I'm going out to get something to eat with Demetrius. Do you want us to bring you back something?"

Sebastian declined and went to the kitchen to browse his options. Hm... what to eat for dinner? He opened the fridge to see what was on offer. The leftover spaghetti was missing, he realized. Maru must have eaten it. Well, fried egg sandwich it is, Sebastian thought. He turned on the stove top and cracked an egg into a frying pan. While he waited, he sawed off two slices of bread for the loaf and added some cheese. It was not his favorite thing to eat, but it was relatively lazy and filling.

After he ate, he grabbed a pack of cigarettes and headed out the door. He passed Maru in the hallway, "You're on your own for dinner, mom and Demetrius went out. I already ate." He did not feel like sticking around to chat. Maru was clearly disappointed but did not say anything to her brother. "Enjoy your night," she called after him.

"You, too, I guess," he responded. It was not that Sebastian did not want Maru to have a good night, he just… did not really know how to talk to her. They were so different, and his mom and Demetrius so clearly favored her. It stung.

Sebastian stood along the shore of the lake to smoke, just like he always did this time of night. Robin had forbidden him from smoking anywhere near the house. Sure, it was made of wood, but it is not like he was going to set fire to the house. It was just another kind of banishment…

He heard a soft sound coming from nearby. There were no words, just a meandering tune that his ears barely picked out from all the other nightly noises around the lake. Where could it be coming from? Sebastian knew better than to go searching for the source of a mysterious sound without a plan, but he was so close to home, what could really be out here that could hurt him?

The man followed the sound along the length of the lake until it stopped. When he could not find the source of the cryptic hum Sebastian shrugged and resumed smoking. He finished his cigarette as the moon rose high enough to see by. There was movement over by the boulder blocking the way to the mines. Surely the Joja Corp. lackey was not working this late to remove the damn thing.

No, definitely not. Someone was just… sitting on the plank next to it. Well, it did not matter. He had finished his cigarette anyway. Sebastian barely started on his way back to the house when a rabbit leaped out across his path and ran up toward the mines. Something else must have been chasing it for it to be that bold. Sure enough, a large dog came charging through the bushes. It surprised him, but Sebastian merely jumped out of its way. _Whose dog?_ Sebastian knew of only one dog in town and he belonged to Alex. This dog was not Dusty.

Shortly afterward, Sebastian heard a scream and a loud splash coming from the direction of the mine. Checking behind him, Sebastian no longer saw the person on the wooden plank.

He sighed in annoyance, _I guess I should make sure they're okay,_ and grudgingly went to go check things out.

* * *

Violet knew how to swim just fine and pulled herself back up onto dry land. The woman laughed at herself when she realized what she saw was a rabbit. "Just a little bunny," the farmer told herself. Something so small had caused such a fright. Violet bent over and squeezed out as much water from her hair back into the lake as she could. Then, the floral-haired woman looked around to make sure the orange glow of the smoker was gone. Seeing none and thinking she was alone, Violet peeled off her shirt and tried to ring as much water out of the material as possible. While the air was decently warm, the water was freezing, and Violet did not want to catch a cold. Another rustling in the tall grass near the edge of the water occurred and Violet vowed she was not going to be scared by little woodland creatures twice in one night. "Not again, Mr. Bunny!"

When she turned, however, it was not a rabbit or any other small woodland creature that stared back at her, but a young man. The two froze as they made eye contact. His long bangs tapered to one side and his hair was dark like the midnight sky. He was pale, but not in a sickly way and Violet felt his obsidian eyes pierce right through her… Violet was not sure how much time passed before the spell was broken and her cheeks flushed crimson. "TURN AROUND!" she demanded in a roar, pointing the other direction with one hand and using her other hand to cover herself with her wet shirt.

Sebastian snapped out of it with the woman's shout and turned his back to her, "I – I just heard a scream and came to check it out," he explained, hoping that she would not think he would try anything inappropriate. "I didn't mean to see anything!"

Violet was horrified, "What did you see?" she asked him, panicked. Her bra was not especially racy, but she admitted she was wearing a cute one today. While she was mortified, she had not been completely topless and she had technically been outside on public property, so she was probably in the wrong here.

The man scrambled for an answer, "Ugh, blue. I saw the color blue," still facing the opposite direction. "I really didn't see anything I shouldn't have; I swear."

Violet did a double take. Her bra was not blue today, it was black, even in the moonlight. The only blue thing on her body right now was… her eyes. He noticed her eyes.

As Sebastian's heart rate went down, so did his initial anxiety. He went on the offensive, "What in the world are you doing stripping out here?" he snapped.

 _Of course, he had to ruin it,_ she thought. He was right, though, to a point. "Look, I just didn't want to freeze and get sick because I was dripping wet all the way home. I have parsnips to harvest tomorrow morning!" she said defensively.

There was silence from the man and Violet softened a bit when she saw that he was shaking a bit. She sighed and wiggled back into her damp shirt. "Look, I'm not mad at you, you just scared me and I'm embarrassed that someone's first impression of me in this town is the weird girl who fell into the lake and stripped after a killer bunny attack."

"You fell in because of that rabbit?" the man's voice cracked and Violet thought she heard quiet laughter. Had he been shaking because he was trying to hold in his laughter? And she felt sorry for him for a second because she yelled at him!

She huffed, "You can turn back around, you know," she growled in annoyance. He did as he was told and once he turned around, the young man could no longer keep a straight face. The laughter was short-lived, but hearty. Like somehow several years' worth of laughter suddenly escaped from his body all at once.

"Are you done now, dude?" Violet grumbled. He did not even look sorry for laughing at her. Violet did not know his name, but she hoped that was about to change. "I'm Violet, by the way," she told him, kicking a pebble at her feet. "And you are?"

"Sebastian," he informed her, having regained his composure.

"Like that Jamaican crab from _The Little Mermaid_?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes and protested, "No, like Johann Sebastian Bach. My mom was really into classical music for like a year, but I get stuck with the name forever."

Violet upped the ante, "My mother gave me the name 'Violetta Valencia.' I sound like some pansy Shakespearian love interest or an Italian mobster." She had brought this complain up to her mother before, but the committee – exclusively chaired by her mother – did not deem a name change worthy of consideration. "At least you can have a cool nickname like 'Bastion' or something. A fortress or an awesome game with a dope, deep-voiced narrator. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with a flower or 'vying for attention.'"

This conversation was flowing more naturally than Sebastian thought possible with a stranger. It surprised even himself. Had he ever been this talkative with someone he just met? "Was that last one from a sibling?" Sebastian wondered out loud.

"My brother is the worst," Violet divulged without hesitation.

"I doubt it," Sebastian alleged with a scowl. "My sister is the golden child who never does anything wrong. I swear my family wishes I didn't exist…"

That made Violet pause. "Who else is in your family? Have I met them?" she asked him curiously.

"You were literally in my house earlier and you ate my mom's spaghetti," he complained, pointing at the familiar, yet empty dish on the ground.

Violet took a moment to process all the information coming in at once. "Robin is your mom… so Demetrius and Maru are your dad and sister."

"Step-dad and half-sister," Sebastian corrected her with a hiss. She could tell this conversation was airing out some negativity pent up inside him. "I'll bet they didn't even mention me, not even my mom."

"I don't recall, but that doesn't necessary mean they didn't…" Violet admitted, her memory was not the best and she had talked to a lot of new people in the last few days.

"Typical," Sebastian sighed heatedly. "Everyone defends them and I'm just the left-over bit that no one wants." His face was flushed from the anger mounting in him.

"You could just leave. You seem... old enough," she said, somewhat cautiously. Sebastian did not seem like he would hurt her, but she also didn't want to be a jerk.

Unfortunately, that struck a nerve, "You think I haven't thought of that? Not everyone has a farm just handed to them by some dead family member. I'm trying to save up to get a place of my own in Zuzu City, but there isn't a lot of money to be made in this town."

His comment about her grandfather was insensitive, but she knew that the only reason she had escaped her situation at Joja Corp. was exactly because she had an out for free. Violet felt mad at Sebastian and guilty for having an easy way out all at once.

Sebastian seemed to realize that he was being rude and stopped himself from continuing, but it was too late to take back what he already said. What was done was done. After a moment of contemplation, Violet looked up and made eye contact with him, "You know what, you're right," she confessed. "So let's do something for you that we can control."

The anger quickly dissolved from Sebastian as he tried to process her proposal. "What are you talking about?" he asked incredulously.

"What's something that's been bothering you that we can take care of?" Violet queried him, waiting patiently for an answer.

What was with this woman? Did she seriously think she could just solve all of his problems? "You mean like that big fucking rock blocking the mines and the entire east side of the lake?" he responded sarcastically. Violet either ignored or did not care that he was joking. The strange woman went rifling through her backpack and pulled out a handful of cherry bombs.

"Then let's blow shit up!" she declared, raising her fist of explosives into the air triumphantly.

Sebastian was aghast. Who just carried cherry bombs with them in their bag? Was she some kind of pyromaniac? "Are you serious right now?" he scoffed. "What are you, crazy?"

Violet acknowledged that she was being spontaneous and maybe even unreasonably so right now, but then again, it was that kind of behavior that allowed her to cut ties with Joja and brought her here to Pelican Town, "You bet I am!"

He was not entirely sure which question Violet answered with that battle cry, but Sebastian was beginning to wonder if it were both. He watched her grab her belongings and place them well away from the lake, out of range. "You don't actually have to do this, you know," Sebastian tried to reason with her. "I was just kidding. I'm kind of a rude asshole when I get pissed off."

"Oh, I'm well aware," she told him. It was not like she had not noticed. But Violet flashed a smile, "But I've been trying to figure out what to use these things on all day. So why not give it a try?" She wanted to try something new and this jerk was not about to stop her. He could either help or get out of the way. "Besides, I don't have a light and I know you do because I saw you smoking earlier." She was clearly pleased with herself at the observation.

The new farmer was annoying correct that he had a lighter, so Sebastian could not argue that unless he wanted to lie. Since Violet had already seen him, there was no point in trying. "Fine…" he said grudgingly. "Let's just do this already." They approached the boulder and examined it for a few ideal spots to wedge in the cherry bombs. Once they had chosen, Sebastian got out his lighter and produced a tiny flame. "We're going to have to be really quick about this…"

Violet nodded seriously and held up the cherry bombs in a bunch so they could all be lit at once. "We each get two, alright?" Sebastian brought the flame to the twisted-together strings that engaged the bombs. With a spark, they were active and the two had to work quickly. Sebastian's heart was pounding, _What the hell am I doing?_ he thought with exasperation as he shoved the pair of tiny bombs into the boulder.

"Now RUN," Violet ordered, grabbing his wrist and booking it toward the ridge. Sebastian ended up out-pacing her and dragging her along with him instead. The two ducked behind a tree just as the cherry bombs detonated. There was a loud pop and a cracking sound, but they could not tell what happened without getting closer to investigate. Violet peered back at the boulder, slightly blinded by the light the small explosions. "Did it work?"

Sebastian shrugged, "One way to find out…" After a few minutes of re-adjusting their eyes to the dark, the two of them approached the large rock and realized that the cherry bombs had done some damage, but the stubborn boulder still stood where it had before.

"Well, that sucks," Sebastian muttered. He was actually kind of hopeful for a bit there that this would finally get rid of the obnoxious boulder.

He glanced at Violet who beamed back at him, as if their failure was something to be happy about. "That was so much fun!" she said with a laugh. Sebastian could not believe how weird she was being, but at the same time the way she smiled at him made his breath catch in his throat and his heart race as if he were still running away from the explosion.

Judging by how high the moon was in the sky, Violet figured it was already almost midnight. She started to gather her things. "That was the most fun I've had in ages," she told him. She re-wrapped the dirty dish so that she could bring it home to wash. Violet slipped her arms through the straps of her backpack and stood up straight.

"I have to get home now," Violet explained, "As I said earlier, I have some parsnips to harvest in the morning and I need to wake up early so I don't get sunburn."

Sebastian shrugged, "I guess I better get back, too. Long way back, you know." He was obviously kidding, and it seemed Violet acknowledged the sarcasm this time.

They ended up walking side-by-side until they reached the door of Sebastian's house. "Uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" he asked as he fit his key into the lock.

"Sure thing," Violet assured him. Sebastian started to enter the threshold when she added, "And Sebastian? I'm really glad we met tonight…" he could swear from her voice that Violet was smiling as she said it.

Sebastian turned back around to look at her, to see if he could detect any sign that she was making fun of him in some way. But Violet was already around the corner of the house and heading up the path toward home. Sebastian lingered in the doorway watching the last trace of her go.

"Me, too," he said so softly that no one else could hear. He had to admit, as ridiculous as Violet had been, he enjoyed himself this evening. Sebastian shut the front door behind him and descended the stairs to his room. As he lie in bed, he realized he was excited to wake up the next morning. It scared him a little. Was he ready to feel like this? No, probably not. But the warm feeling in his chest made him realize that it did not matter. It was going to happen anyway and there was little he or anything else could do to stop it. All because of a dumb rabbit and a stubborn rock.


	8. First Harvest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet harvests her first crop of Parsnips, she discovers that Morris is in Pelican Town, and the Mayor shows her the old Community Center

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.
> 
> I apologize for how long this took. It did not make sense to cram everything I was writing into one chapter, so I split it up into smaller fragments. I think it makes more sense like this anyway. Enjoy!

**First Harvest**

Today was the big day, her first harvest! Violet sprang out of bed to tend to her vegetable garden. Gently coaxing each tuber from the damp earth, she retrieved all fourteen parsnip bunches that remained after the incident with the crow earlier that week. There was something about growing a plant – especially an edible one – from seed to maturity. Violet beamed with pride as she admired the parsnips and brought them over to the pond for a quick rinse.

As she washed the dirt away, Violet noticed two bundles seemed to be better quality than the rest, but not perfect. She did not mind since this was her first harvest, but she wanted to do better so that someday everyone in the valley could eat her fresh, delicious produce. The farmer decided to keep two regular batches for her meals and the rest she would sell to Pierre later that day. _I should get some more seeds, too!_ she thought happily.

Violet watered the rest of her garden and as she did so, she had an epiphany on how to put together a proper scarecrow. Once she was finished giving her crops a good drink, she set to work crafting a straw humanoid to keep the wild animals from feasting on all her defenseless plants. It was a basic scarecrow, but if it served its purpose, Violet did not care. She propped up the pole and drove it into the ground next to her garden. After she was satisfied it would remain in place, the young woman let go. "I'm gonna call you…" she tilted her gaze upward toward the scarecrow. "Gendry the Sentry." Violet liked giving out titles. "Guardian of the Garden!" she proclaimed to absolutely no one.

And so, Gendry now watched over the crops while Violet handled a few other miscellaneous chores around the farm. When the new farmer finished, she removed her straw hat and let down her hair. Violet liked her hair at this length, she decided. Long enough to put back, but short enough that it was not weighing her down. _Bex was right,_ she sighed, missing her best friend. Not that they had lived within a reasonable distance for a long time, but Violet was keenly aware of the miles that separated them now. Rebecca promised to send her a letter to Violet at the new farm, if only to test if the post office could even find the place.

Violet went to the mailbox and found several letters, though none from Rebecca. One of which was a postcard with a familiar name that made her recoil.

" _To our valued JojaMart customers:_

_Our team members have removed the landslide caused by our drilling operation near the mountain lake. I'd like to remind you that our drilling operation is entirely legal (pursuant to init. L61091, JojaCo Amendment). Responsible stewardship of the local environment is our top priority!_

_We apologize for any inconvenience this accident may have caused._

_As always, we value your continued support and patronage!_

_Morris_

_Joja Customer Satisfaction Representative"_

Violet bristled at the sight of Morris' name on the letter. _It can't be…_ She tried to convince herself it was just a coincidence. And yet, she knew it had to be her former boss. Violet used to work at corporate, so she knew the names of not only everyone in the building and most of the branch managers. There was no one else in the company with the name Morris as a first or last name. "Are you fucking serious?!" she shrieked in disbelief. Violet traveled across the country and for some reason he and this annoying, condescending, self-important ass still followed her.

The farmer let herself fall onto the steps of her porch to sit down for a moment. The irony of her current situation was not lost. A major part of the reason she left Joja Corp. was because of that bastard and here he was in her new town trying to ruin her new life, too. Violet clenched her fist, then released the tension and exhaled deeply to loosen the tightness in her chest. _This is fine, everything is fine,_ Violet assured herself. _Even if he is here, he's not my boss anymore. What can he possibly do to me? Besides, I look completely different now!_

The young woman was not about to lie down and let this happen. With a new resolve, Violet leapt to her feet, collected the parsnips she intended to sell, and walked toward Pierre's. "I'm going to make sure this town doesn't need Joja," she muttered to herself. "I'm going to grow the best damn produce this town has ever tasted." It was an unusual vendetta, Violet realized, but it was her goal all the same. She wanted no trace of her former life to stain Pelican Town's beautiful landscape.

On her way into town, Violet noticed the Mayor heading north up a route she had not yet used. Curiosity got the better of her, so Violet decided to take a detour and follow him, just to see what was there. The path headed east for a while and a playground came into view. Just beyond that was an old building that appeared to be on the verge of collapse. She was surprised there were no signs on the exterior to mark the structure condemned.

Mayor Lewis stood in front of the building and Violet approached him. The building had once been beautiful, with great pillars on either side of the entrance, stylized shutters, and a large clock whose arms no longer moved above the doorway. The old man realized another person was beside him now, "Oh, hi there."

He shifted his gaze up to the old building, "What an eyesore…" he muttered, almost angrily. "This is the Pelican Town Community Center… or what's left of it anyway." Violet could tell the Mayor remembered the place in its former glory. "It used to be the pride and joy of the town… always bustling with activity. Now just look at it. It's shameful." Lewis shook his head despondently. It was a loss for the whole community, from what Violet could tell, but she wondered why the place had gone to ruin if it was so important.

"These days the young folk would rather sit in front of the TV than engage with the community," the Mayor complained. Violet resented that comment. She had not met a single person young or old who simply sat inside and did not engage with anyone. So, unless she had met less than half the town, which she did not think was the case, Lewis' argument as to why the Center had gotten to this state was clearly incorrect. _They always love to blame us,_ she thought with contempt. The old man continued, with a sad chuckle, "But listen to me, I sound like an old fool." Violet was not going to say so, but she certainly agreed with that last statement.

Mayor Lewis straightened his posture, "Joja Corporation has been hounding me to sell them the land so they can turn it into a warehouse…" The farmer wanted to immediately protest, but he went on: "Pelican Town could use the money, but there's something stopping me from selling it…" So, there was hope. Violet could still stop this corporate take-over of her new home. The Mayor continued his monologue. "I guess old timers like my get attached to relics of the past… Ah well."

"What's wrong with wanting the Community Center to be like it was before?" Violet questioned him, trying to keep the disdain for Joja Corp. from slipping into her tone. "It's not as if a big company like Joja really needs the land from one small town."

Lewis considered this for a moment, stroking one side of his mustache. "Then I suppose the town can decide. If anyone else buys a Joja Co. Membership I'm just gonna go ahead and sell it." _So, if I buy a membership, he'll sell._ Violet recognized that without saying it, Lewis was trying to foist off the responsibility of the decision onto her. _Everyone else in town who would want one has likely already joined._ She was the only remaining person in town to cast their vote by either getting a Joja Co. Membership or by abstaining. She hated Joja Corp. Or maybe he knew that, too. Lewis was an obnoxiously well-versed politician, even if only in this small town.

The man sighed, "Here, let's go inside," he said, unlocking the door to the decrepit building. Violet wondered if it was safe, since upon entry Violet could plainly see the place was literally falling apart. The floor caved in multiple places with plants overtaking the exposed dirt beneath. In a corner, an old fish tank was cracked and covered in dried algae. The walls and ceiling were also in desperate need of repair. There was a small hut with a leaf-thatched roof in the corner of the large gathering space, though nothing appeared to be living in it.

Lewis noticed the hut as well. "Hmm? What's this? I guess Vincent and Jas must've been playing in here." Violet doubted that the kids had made such an elaborate playhouse. Not to mention Penny would not have let either of them step foot in the place, it was too dangerous. Lewis turned around to face Violet and scanned the open common room. "This place is even more dilapidated than I remember."

It was then in the dim light filtering through the dirty glass that Violet spied a small creature waving at her behind the Mayor. A green apple, or what looked like one, bounced excitedly up and down. The old man - who had not stopped talking despite Violet's lack of interest - realized that she was no longer listening and turned to see what was so interesting. The small being disappeared in an instant as he turned. When the Mayor saw nothing, he asked, "Why? What's the matter? Are you ill?" As if being ill were the only reason to zone out while he spoke.

"I… saw something," Violet said hesitantly. She did not want to sound crazy, but she could not deny she had seen something she could not identify. The farmer did not think they were dangerous. The presence felt friendly and almost… refreshing. Like clean forest air.

"Hmm… I wouldn't be surprised if this place was full of rats." The small apple suddenly appeared behind the Mayor again, making Violet jump as it revealed itself. Lewis was having enough of this. "You're worrying me, Violet." She apologized, but there was not much she could do. Violet could not make Lewis see a creature that did not want to be seen by him. She wondered why it appeared to her at all.

"Look," Lewis said, "I think I'm going to head home. I need some lunch." It was a bit early, Violet thought, but this could also be an excuse for him to leave. He noticed that Violet did not budge and instead continued to look around the old building. "Hey. I'll keep this place unlocked from now on…" he informed her. "Maybe you can help catch that rat if you have some extra time."

 _Sneaky bastard,_ the farmer thought as the Mayor hurriedly exited the building. _He either knows I hate Joja Corp. and wants me to fix this place up enough on my own so he can take credit, or if I at least get rid of the pests, he might be able to get more money for the land._ Part of her could see why the Mayor remained unchallenged for so long. He had just become Mayor around the time she started to visit her grandfather here in Pelican Town. Lewis appeared to be competent from the outside, but if you ever actually looked around the town, things were not as well maintained as they should. Where was all the money the town made going if not toward community resources? Violet was determined to find out.

Despite herself, Violet did poke around the old building a bit. There was a strange golden tile in one of the rooms, but she could not read what it said. It looked like a made-up language or code. Weird, but nothing to hint at the strange little creature she saw earlier. She sighed, realizing that she did not have time for this, even if she did want to investigate.

For now, Violet had some crops to sell at Pierre's. On her way back toward the main square, the farmer noticed a blonde girl standing by the playground. Someone new! The woman looked a bit younger than Violet, but it was always hard for her to tell. She had long wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Violet was reminded of the rich girls in high school and a few who still dressed that way in college. She wondered if this young woman would surprise her with a different attitude or if the stereotype would hold true.

As Violet approached, the blonde acknowledged her, "Oh… you're that new farmer girl, aren't you?"

As the newest member of the community, Violet had been through this script too many times this week, "Yeah, I'm Violet. What's your name?"

The blonde seemed surprised that the farmer dared speak to her. "Oh… I'm Haley." Haley looked Violet over from head to toe as if she were appraising her worth. "If it weren't for those horrendous clothes you might actually be pretty," she said with disgust. After a pause and a twitch in her mouth, Haley rescinded her backhanded compliment, "Actually, never mind."

Violet nearly laughed but caught herself. Oh, man. This Haley girl was a living preppy stereotype, it was almost comical. Almost. "Okay, Bailey," she purposefully crossed the names Barbie and Haley. "You have a good day," Violet dismissed herself and did not wait for Haley's response, if she even had one. The farmer decided there would be no more distractions as she headed toward Pierre's.

As she entered the general store, the tiny bell over the door chimed and the storekeeper greeted Violet excitedly, "Do you have anything to sell today, Farmer Violet?" Pierre asked her.

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Violet could not contain her excitement. She gently lay the parsnips on the counter and separated the two better quality batches to showcase the difference. Pierre inspected them himself and seemed to agree with her assessment. Pierre counted out the gold and gave it to her, "I'll go put these out for the customers," he informed her. "If you would like to buy any seeds, please wait here a moment."

Violet decided to only buy enough parsnips to replace the original fifteen seed packets. She wanted to be able to afford some fun tonight at The Stardrop Saloon and she did not want to bum off anyone. Pierre returned to the counter and sold her the requested seeds. Violet thought he looked a bit disappointed that Violet did not turn around and use all the money he just gave her, but Pierre would have to deal with it.

The sound of a door opening came from around the corner of the counter and Pierre turned his head to look at the person, "Abigail," he called out to someone, "have you met the new farmer?"

There was an odd thud from behind the shelf where Violet could not see, but a young woman came out from behind the row of goods and smiled at her, "Oh, that's right...I heard someone new was moving onto that old farm." As Violet had already heard, Abigail also had purple hair, but it reminded her of the color of an amethyst rather than any flora. Something about this town and women with jewel-tone hair. The farmer felt a little relieved since there was enough difference between the shades that it likely would not start any drama. Unless Abigail was anything like Haley…

"Hi, Abigail," Violet greeted her. She fiddled with one of her wavy locks nearest her face and tried to avoid looking at all confrontational. Violet did not know what to expect. "I just moved into the old farm just east of town. I'm Violet."

Abigail was likewise relieved that the new girl did not wear a similar shade of purple. The farmer's hair was a lighter hue and with the waves and slight curl in some places, it almost looked like she had flowers in her hair. Abigail did not consider herself nearly so feminine in her interests. Thanks goodness, the new person was not trying to edge her out in terms of appearance, anyway.

Either way, Abigail was flustered because her father caught her completely off-guard. She did not expect farmer Violet to be in the general store when she came out of the house. Sam, Sebastian, and she all assumed they would just meet Violet tonight. Too late for that now, but she could try to make an escape so that way she did not break their unofficial pact by continuing the conversation. "It's kind of a shame, really. I always enjoyed exploring those overgrown fields by myself," she lamented.

"Oh," Violet felt her heart sink a little bit, but she tried not to let it bother her. She quickly realized that she was focusing too much on the negative part of what Abigail said. "You're always welcome to come by," the farmer assured her. "I haven't really cleared much of the land, so if you want to explore, you're welcome to do so."

"Uh, it's okay," Abigail responded backtracking a bit. She looked around as if searching for a physical exit to the conversation. "I… have to get going. I forgot something," and with that she retreated back the way she came. Pierre looked confused by the encounter, as if his daughter did something he did not expect, but he did not say anything to Violet.

It was a little strange, Violet admitted, but nothing worth worrying over. So her moving to Pelican Town and claiming the land she inherited from her grandfather took away an abandoned field to explore. That was not necessarily her fault since technically Abigail had been trespassing. Not that it mattered. Violet was not going to take any legal action, after all. And it was not as if she could be instantly friends with everyone.

* * *

After some consideration, Violet devoted the rest of the afternoon trying her hand at fishing on the pier. She only caught a few small fish and sold the ones she did not plan on eating to Willy. She was glad she wore long sleeves that day. Even if the afternoon sun were not as intense, she probably would have had sunburn if she had not taken Harvey's advice. Honestly, Violet could not remember the last time she spent so much time outdoors. It was strange how much the move had already revitalized her in many ways. The new farmer had different kinds of stresses now, but they were not the kind that made her want to ram her head into the wall. Maybe bury her head in the sand, like when Sebastian found her without a shirt at the lake last night. But even with his initial rudeness and some unexpected chatting about their family troubles, Violet realized she had a lot of fun last night.

Part of her thought that the only reason Joja Corp. sent a notice that the boulder had been removed was because of the cherry bombs she and Sebastian set off. Either the cracking had sufficiently broken the behemoth enough for them to finish the job quickly, or – and she suspected this was the actual case – they had the ability to remove it the entire time and chose not to commit the proper resources. Once they found out that someone had been attempting removal themselves it became a problem because as far as legality was concerned, they were responsible. If the townspeople were messing with the site, they could be sued if things went wrong. Whether or not Pelican Town would win the case was a separate story, but Joja Corp. would do just about anything to avoid legal battles.

Despite her hatred toward her former employer, Violet's thoughts wandered back to Sebastian. How the moonlight made him almost glow and the way his eyes caught the light. His laugh, which sounded both joyful and alarmingly desperate to her ears. Clearly, he was unhappy with his life. She had been the same way for a long time. Hell, Violet was still working on herself in the pursuit of happiness category, but things were looking up since she quit working for Joja Corp. While she was unaware that Joja Corp. was responsible for the blockade near the lake, she had interfered with their operations. In Violet's inadvertent first act of war, Sebastian had been her partner in crime.

She liked the sound of that. Her partner. But Violet promised herself she would not jump into anything too quickly here in Pelican Town. Especially romantic relationships. Sure, she had dated in the past, but nothing ever got too serious. Just some making out here, maybe a little fondling there. But in a small town, things were different. Violet imagined casual dating, like in the cities, was not really a thing because of how it shifted the social dynamics so heavily. In a big city, there were more people. It did not matter if you got together and broke up with someone the next week. There were no real bridges to burn, but here… that would not be the case.

Besides, even if he was attractive, Violet knew next to nothing about him. Just earlier this week she also found Elliott attractive in a different way. Her mind would inevitably change, and Violet was not about to end up like her parents who split up when things went south in their marriage. The new farmer wanted something that would last. As she left the beach and headed toward The Stardrop Saloon, she shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the eyes that had entranced her the night before. It did not work.


	9. Doubts and Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru surprises her brother with some information, Sebastian reflects on his feelings for both Abigail and the new farmer, and Abigail decides to meddle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.

**Doubts and Distractions**

Sebastian woke that morning with an emotional hangover. He spent most of his life as far as he could remember with this hazy, almost suffocating cloud over his mind. It had become worse in recent years, and Sebastian had not felt so much intense emotion in months as he did the night before. It was all too much. Surely, a simple change in his routine should not have affected him that greatly? But then again, Violet was not something as minor eating something different than the usual for lunch one day. She was person and her very presence complicated things.

He thought he had it all sorted out: he would take freelance programming jobs until he could save up enough money to move to the city, maybe finally go to college to open up new opportunities with an official degree, and finally ask Abigail out one of these days. Sebastian was not have a solid timeline, but he supposed he would get around to all these things eventually. But the drive had never quite been there to get things started. Sure, he did not like his life in Pelican Town, rotting in the dark basement, but the inertia of his current life was dauntingly strong.

But, now… with those dark blue eyes that reminded him of something so familiar… he could not quite put his finger on it. He still wanted to move to the city at this point. The appearance of a new girl in town was not about to change that. But… was he so sure about his feelings toward Abigail? Could he feel this way toward two people at once?

Then again, it was not quite the same. Sebastian's feelings toward Abigail had been steadily building the last few years. When _had_ it even started? He began to question if he only felt romantically for Abigail because she was the only woman his age with whom he interacted. As kids he never had a crush on her. But on the opposite side of the same coin, these emerging feelings for Violet could be simply because she was someone new. And yet, even in such a short time, the roller coast of emotions he felt spending time with Violet last night. It felt… strange. Sebastian was not sure if that was a good thing or not. It scared him.

And so, Sebastian lie in bed longer than usual, mulling over the confusion in his head and trying to make sense of anything he could grasp. He was not sure how much time had passed before a face appeared over his bed. It was Maru. "Are you getting out of bed today, big brother?" she asked him. "Mom's got some lunch waiting upstairs for us if you're hungry."

"Go away, Maru!" he growled, pulling his sheets over his head, and turning his back to her.

"Too much fun with the new farmer last night?" Maru chuckled, perching on the stool in front of Sebastian's computer. She waited for the predictable reaction. There was a long pause before Sebastian shot up, flinging the covers away from his body. "Were you _spying_ on me?"

"No," Maru replied, denying her brother's accusation. She smiled, "Do you honestly think there would be an explosion near our house, and I would not want to go check it out?" Maru shrugged and took off her glasses to adjust them. "Linus seemed a little freaked out something more serious was going on and I told him I would investigate." Sebastian felt a little badly about that. He did not think of Linus. "I didn't hear what you two were talking about, but I saw you two together…" Maru trailed off.

Sebastian had to think for a moment. The night before was a bit of a blur, but he did not think he and Violet talked much after they tried to blow up the boulder. "What did you see…?" he finally dared to ask.

Maru pondered for a moment, "You two were next to the landslide rubble, Violet picked up her things, and the two of you walked to the door of the house," she finally said. Maru tilted her head and brought her hand up to her chin, "And then I heard Violet say she was 'really glad' she met you." She frowned disapprovingly at Sebastian and shot him an accusing look, "And you did not say anything nice back!"

"Not that it's any of your business," Sebastian scolded Maru. "But I… did," he tried to defend himself. He slouched on his bed, "Just… really quietly," he muttered weakly.

"And this is why you never got around to asking Abigail out," Maru snapped teasingly. "All this silly hesitation."

Sebastian stared at his half-sister and looked for any signs that she might be tricking him somehow. Was she recording this for Abigail to listen to later? "Why would I ask Abigail out?" he asked cautiously, trying not to give himself away.

Maru gave her brother an exasperated look and rolled her eyes, "You're kidding, right? The reddening of your face, the dilation of your pupils, the stammering when she's around… I'm sure if we polled friends and family you would discover that more people know about your little crush than you realize."

Sebastian heard Maru continue, but he retreated into his own head. _Other people know? But I hide it so well! Don't I?_ The more Maru went on in the background, the more Sebastian began to doubt himself. He shook his head, if Maru knew, she knew. "Do you think… Abigail knows?" Sebastian inquired hesitantly.

Maru finished tinkering with her glasses and placed them back on her face. She then rose from the stool, and patted her brother on the shoulder sympathetically, "Unfortunately, yes."

Sebastian rubbed at the back of his neck in discomfort at the idea that Abgail knew about his feelings. But then he processed Maru's words, "What do you mean 'unfortunately?'" he was being defensive, but Sebastian did not care. "Is it so awful for any girl that I might wanna date?" he spat.

His half-sister's eyebrows rose her forehead in genuine surprise. "No, it's just… I don't think she likes you in the same way, based on her own behavior." She lips twisted in a way that suggested she was searching for the right words. Maru shrugged, "Then again, all I have is observational data and some quick readings in a few respected academic journals on the correlations between physical attraction and certain body language cues. Those topics are not exactly hard sciences, so I don't find their supporting evidence as compelling, but it was an intriguing read nonetheless."

This was one of those moments when his half-sister resembled Demetrius' mannerisms. It drove him nuts. "Just get out of my room, Maru," Sebastian growled, waving her out. "I'll get my own food when I'm hungry." He retreated to safety by pulling his blanket back over his face.

Maru made her way toward the door, but stopped herself at the stairs, "If it's any consolation, I think _Violet_ might like you. Who knows? Maybe if you two get to know each other more, she might be interested enough to go out with you if you asked," Before her words could register with her brother and ask her about her hypothesis, she darted upstairs for lunch.

* * *

Maru's words were a weight on Sebastian's mind the rest of the day, both the positive and negative. Was she right? Did Abigail not like him in the same way? How would his half-sister even know how Abigail felt? It was not like they were friends. Hell, Sebastian was not sure if Maru and Abigail ever held a conversation. Was Maru was just rubbing it in how much better everyone liked her and how he would be alone in his cave beneath the carpentry shop forever?

Sebastian was in a sour mood by the time he finally rolled out of bed. He changed his clothes and adorned his signature black hoodie before ascending the stairs to scavenge for something to eat. From behind the counter of the shop, Robin caught sight of her son before he escaped to the kitchen, "Sebby, I left a plate for you in the fridge!" she called after him.

Sure enough, there were a few fish tacos waiting for him like his mother said. Sebastian seated himself at his spot at the table and as he ate them, his thoughts wandered back to the previous night. He hardly knew Violet, but he could not deny to himself that there was something there. He just could not figure out what it was. Sure, the feelings were more intense than the way he felt about Abigail, but something that occurred so suddenly could disappear just as easily. What made Maru think that Violet liked him anyway? Did his half-sister know something he did not?

He doubted Maru had spoken with Violet after he had last night. So, he was likely the last person in the household to speak to her. Not to mention Sebastian had not even met Violet until last night. _Unless…_ Realization crept into his consciousness and gripped him tightly: the rumor mill. This was a small town. News about anything traveled faster than Pam could down a pint. Had Violet said something when she stopped by at Pierre's this morning? The farmer did mention she had a harvest this morning, so Violet would probably go to Pierre's to sell her produce.

While he had not intentionally, Sebastian did see her wet and half-naked by the lake last night. Even when she did put her shirt back on, everything clung to her body – He slapped himself. _Cut it out._ What did she tell them?! He could hear it now, "Then this pervert came by – blah, blah, blah… He should take responsibility – blah, blah, blah…" His head sunk down to the tabletop. Sebastian felt ill. Maybe he should just skip out on going to The Stardrop Saloon tonight? _No, then hers is the only narrative…_ he thought. _That would just make things worse._

Sebastian caught himself on the downward spiral of catastrophe. It was a well-worn path in his mind, and although he did not always stop himself from traveling all the way down to rock bottom, this case was an exception. Maru specifically told him that she thought Violet liked him, not that Violet had been slandering him to the other residents of Pelican Town. He tried to recall exactly what Violet said the previous night if anything held an ounce of support or opposition to Maru's claim.

Merely thinking back to last night when he found Violet standing there in the moonlight. Her hair that framed her face dripped tiny droplets, looking like wisteria after a heavy rain. Those deep blue eyes… _Like the ocean during a storm,_ Sebastian finally recognized. It was that same color and depth that often drew him to the pier on rainy days. Her eyes are what kept haunting him. Why had he been so entranced the night before? And even now Sebastian flushed at the memory of their eyes locking on one another.

 _She told me she was glad we met,_ he recalled. _That's something positive. She also indirectly called me an asshole, but those were my words, not hers. She simply agreed with me._ He supposed he could not fault her for that one. It was true, he had been rude.

Upon further reflection, Sebastian realized that the only negative things Violet had said to him the night before were that maybe his family did not actually forget about him and the suggestion he simply move out if he was so miserable. While one was a weak defense of his family and the other unrealistic due to finances, the statements were not a direct insult of his character. So, whether Violet liked him was one thing, but he could not think of anything she did or said that suggested hate. That was something, at least.

Glancing at the clock, he realized it was already three in the afternoon. He normally left home to meet Sam and Abigail around this time. Sebastian let out a deep sigh. "I've gotta stop overthinking and just go," he grumbled to himself. Taking the last bite of his fish taco, he cleared the table and washed his plate quickly before heading out. _Here goes nothing…_

* * *

Abigail had been waiting on the old blue couch in the game room of The Stardrop Saloon for a few minutes when Sam arrived. "Hey, Abi," the blond greeted her as he sauntered into the room. As per usual, Sam dropped a few coins into the Joja cola machine, popped open the can, and guzzled the drink before picking up a maple cue and practice his aim on a few of the numbered balls.

He always missed his shots and Abigail wondered how someone who had been playing so long could still be so terrible. It was almost endearing how little it bothered him, though. For Ssam, Abigail thought, it seemed like it was more just to spend time with his friends and distract himself from worrying about his dad. While Abigail and her father did not see eye-to-eye, she was glad Pierre was safe at home. She could not imagine what Sam must be going through. Abigail thought that every once and a while she caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes, but she could never be sure.

Abigail opened her mouth to ask about Kent when the door of the saloon swung open and Pam loudly announced her presence. Emily already had it ready for her and set it on the bar counter. When Abigail looked back, the look had faded from Sam's face. The moment had been lost and Abigail knew she missed her chance to try to comfort her friend.

"Oh, I got ambushed by the new girl today," Abigail told the blond. "Well, I guess you could say my dad threw me under the bus and introduced me as I was coming into his shop this morning."

Sam perked up and turned to face her, "Oh, yeah?" he responded, tilting his head slightly. "What did you think?"

"I mean, I didn't talk to her long, but she didn't seem terrible," Abigail told him with a shrug.

He chuckled, "Such high praise for your new BFF!" Sam teased his friend, gently prodding her with the maple cue. It left a blue chalk mark on her arm.

Abigail made a face and swiped the pole away, "Hey, it's easy to look cool around you two dorks," she informed Sam with a wide grin, "but I might get some real competition here!"

The blond shrugged and aimed at a striped ball on the pool table. "You've got nothing to worry about, Abi," he assured her. "You're the coolest girl I know."

She smiled at the compliment but was not sure what to say in return. Abigail had noticed lately that Sam only called her "Abi" when they were alone. She was not sure when it had started, but something about it caught her interest. Although she had not mentioned it to him, she kind of liked when Sam called her that. Maybe she was just tired of her parents always shouting her name when she was in trouble for some ridiculous reason, but the shortening of her name was endearing. Abigail wondered why Sam stopped whenever others were around.

As if summoned, Sebastian passed through the threshold of the saloon and made his way to the game room. "Hey, how's it going?" he asked his friends. Abigail thought Sebastian looked a little different today, but she could not pin it down. Both she and Sam responded with some version of "fine" and they began their Friday ritual. Abigail would lounge on the couch while the boys played pool, occasionally making jokes, or talking about video games.

"I still can't beat the first level of Journey of the Prairie King," Abigail complained, flopping onto the sofa back. "I had no idea such a simple game could be so impossible."

"Just takes practice," Sam assured his friend, "once you get the hang of it, you'll beat it in no time." Sebastian made no comment, not even to tease her or call out Sam's nonsensical advise, which was unusual. He kept hanging back away from the pool table where he could see the front door. It was like he was waiting for someone. Was he that anxious to meet Violet? Abigail wondered.

Either way, Abigail filled in for him to poke at Sam, "If that were the case, you would have at least had one victory against Sebastian." Sam smirked in response, "Sebastian's had more practice, to be fair."

More of the townspeople milled into The Stardrop Saloon. Pierre took his spot up at the bar to celebrate the end to another day of work, Leah and Elliot sat on the western-most table and talked about art, writing, and all things creative in nature, and Shane took up his normal haunt next to the fireplace. Willy sauntered into the bar smelling like fish but luckily, he stayed near the door, so the odor did not permeate the whole establishment.

It was Sebastian's turn to take a shot and as the shaft made contact with the cue ball, and Emily shouted an enthusiastic, "Welcome, Violet!" from across the bar. The solid ball made it into the pocket, but just barely. It quickly became obvious that the new farmer was not going to join their group anytime soon. Violet was making the rounds to say "hello" and make small talk with everyone. Those closer to the door were given priority due to proximity. Sam was the most curious out of the three to meet Violet because, unbeknownst to him, he was the only member of the gang who had not formally been introduced to the new farmer. However, he settled for a quick glance her way and continued his match against Sebastian.

Sebastian, on the other hand, kept making what he believed were subtle peeks at the new farmer. He would never openly gawk at someone, but Abigail noticed the signs. She knew Sebastian had a crush on her and he actually thought he hid it well. It was weird, Abigail thought, living in such a small town. There were not a whole lot of options for romantic partners, assuming you wanted one at all, and since her two best friends were a pair of eligible bachelors in town, there was bound to be some mutual feelings.

Abigail and Sebastian had known each other the longest, since she had lived here all her life and Sebastian moved to the valley with his family just before Maru was born. Sam, on the other hand, moved to Pelican much later, but the two boys became fast friends. Abigail sometimes felt a little left out, since Sam and Sebastian had more in common with each other, but she knew that was inevitable whenever a group formed. So, despite herself, Abigail was both relieved and a bit jealous that Sebastian kept stealing glances at the new farmer. Sam on the other hand, Abigail noticed, did not seem all the affected by the newcomer.

Sam knew that the new girl was here on a Friday night to make introductions because half of the town showed up to the saloon. He was not worried about seeking her out. Farmer Violet would come in here to greet the gang, even if she had already met Abigail this morning. Instead, Sam focused on the yellow stripe of the "9" ball as he pulled back the cue and propelled it forward to make the shot on the corner pocket. It ricocheted off the side and narrowly missed the target, "So close," he moaned in annoyance.

Normally, Sebastian would talk smack with him about his lack of ability, but tonight he was clearly distracted. Sam looked over to see if Abigail noticed, too. The two made eye contact and Abigail simply shrugged before she tried to snap their friend out of it, "Earth to Sebastian!" she hollered from her perch on the sofa. "It's your move, buddy."

Sebastian practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of Violet shouting "THANK YOU" from across the bar. No one knew what it was about, but several others also stopped to try and discern the source. After a moment, they all gave up and volume level returned to normal. "Ugh, right…" Sebastian said as he lowered himself to make a shot on the scarlet 7-ball. He made the shot quickly and the red orb missed by a long shot, smacking into the 8-ball with a clack, which then rolled down the green velvety table into one of the corner pockets.

Sam's eyes lit up with excitement. Sebastian screwed up big time. He lost! Sebastian, being careful not to be caught staring at Violet again, was still zoned out, just staring at the floor instead. The blond could not believe what had just happened. He looked to Abigail again, who mouthed silently, "What is he doing?" pointing to Sebastian with her other hand shielding it from view.

The skater's eyebrows furrowed, Sam was terrible at reading lips. Abigail whipped out her phone and Sam's beeped almost immediately after. The message from Abigail read:

**_*SAM, LOOK AT HIM!*_ **

**_*Do you think he's into her?*_ **

The skater looked up at his friend, who was obviously distracted this evening. Sam knew that Sebastian thought he hid his feelings for Abigail, but this was almost depressing if he thought he was being subtle. The blond had no idea his friend could be so infatuated by the mere sight of a woman they had not met yet. Or so Sam thought. He did not know what had occurred the night before. Sam made eye contact with Abigail. It was not often he got to look at her so boldly with Sebastian around. He nodded in response to the text.

**_*I'm going to call her over here. Play wing-man,*_ **

The pixelated letters relayed the message loud and clear. Sam gave Abigail the "okay" sign with his right hand and strutted over to his best friend. "Yo, thanks for the win, fam," he told Sebastian as he put his arm around his friend's shoulder. "I know the 8-ball matches your aesthetic, but that's a little on the nose, don't you think?"

The raven-haired man blinked and suddenly whatever head space he had been dwelling in was shattered. "Wait, what?" Sebastian looked down at the pool table and sure enough the crimson ball was still there on the green velvet and the black one was missing. "No way!" he seemed to be more in disbelief than angry that he lost his perfect winning streak.

"Afraid so, Sebastian," Sam said with a smug look, "and I didn't even have to get any stripes in the pockets." Not being able to sink a single shot was not something to brag about, but Sebastian never lost, so Sam did not mind rubbing it in a little at his friend's expense.

Meanwhile, Abigail saw Violet across the saloon, sitting with Elliott and Leah. It looked like there was a lull in the conversation, so she called over to the new farmer, "Hey, Violet! Have you met Sam and Sebastian?"

Sebastian shot Abigail a look. "What are you doing?" he hissed. "Don't call her over here!" He was agitated and Abigail tried to dismiss it.

"You've been making eyes at her, Sebastian. Just get the introductions out of the way and maybe you won't be so painfully awkward," Abigail told him.

"I already met her at the lake last night!" Sebastian tried to explain quickly before Violet got within earshot. "She and I used cherry bombs on the landslide rubble last night and I think that's why Joja Corp. finally got their asses moving and got rid of it all this morning."

If the landslide was gone… The mines were open again! Abigail realized. She could finally go exploring in the caves and put her sword training to use. "Wait…" Abigail straightened up in her seat, "You guys did what?!"


	10. Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet has a chat with Leah and Elliott, plays a game of pool with Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail, and ruins Sebastian's favorite comics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.

**Favors**

Violet entered The Stardrop Saloon along with several other townsfolk she had already met. Scanning the room, it looked like she had already introduced herself to everyone she could see, so she decided to work on building on those relationships. She made some polite conversation with Pierre and Willy before she headed over to the table where Leah sat. "It's good to see you again, neighbor," Violet said in greeting.

Leah looked up from salad and her eyes lit up in recognition, "Oh, hey, Violet!" She smiled, "I'm so glad you came. Do you want to join me?" She pushed out the chair next to her with her foot, "Elliott went to grab himself something to drink, but there's plenty of room."

Violet did a mental happy dance, _Yes! Already getting invited to sit with people, this is great!_ "I would love to, thanks so much!" She accepted the chair between Leah and Elliott and sat down. Pondering a moment, Violet decided to wait until Elliott came back before abandoning Leah to grab something to eat. "So, are you a vegetarian, or is the salad that good?"

Leah, who had just taken a bit bite of her greens, covered her mouth slightly as she finished chewing "I'm not a vegetarian, I just don't eat a lot of meat, I guess," she stated. "It's bad for the environment and I much prefer foraging for my food. There are a lot of tasty things that grow in the valley if you know where to look." She took another big bite of her salad, "But the salad _is_ delicious! I don't know what Gus' secret ingredient is, but I get it every Friday and I never get sick of it."

It was then that Elliott returned to the table with his spirits. "Ah, farmer Violet!" he greeted her as he joined the two women. "How marvelous you could join us!" Elliott brushed his hair away from the side of his face closest to the newcomer to better see her. "How is the simple life on the farm?"

If it had been someone in the city asking that question, Violet might have thought they were making fun of her, but she could tell that Elliott was being sincere. He meant simple as in removed from the complications of city life, not the passive-aggressive way to call a person stupid. "It's oddly… relaxing," she admitted. "Like, don't get me wrong, I'm physically exhausted at the end of each day, but even in just the last few nights, I have never slept so well or felt more… serene."

Leah bobbed her head in agreement, "Exactly! Pelican Town is a tranquil haven for my creativity. I don't miss the city at all." After finishing the last few morsels of her salad, she asked, "So, I know you've only been doing it for a few days, but do you like being a farmer?"

"I never knew how rewarding it would feel," Violet shared with her new friends. "I know the garden on my farm is small right now, but once I get the hang of things and can afford more supplies and equipment, I hope I can one day feed the whole valley with my produce."

Elliott held a hand to his heart, "Ah, to nurture those around you. By body with the products of your garden and in soul with the gift of camaraderie and mutual affection. How poetic indeed." Violet thanked him for the compliment. "I'll definitely have to make you two something once I have a kitchen," she promised the two artists.

"That would be the best," Leah chimed in, enjoying the idea of having someone else do the cooking for a change. "I would be happy to supply you with some fresh ingredients from the valley. Though I'm sure you'll have some things from the farm you'll want us to try, too."

"Yeah!" the farmer said with excitement. "I just had my first parsnip harvest today. I think I'll be able to improve the next set from what I learned over the last week." Violet's stomach growled audibly, and she flushed with embarrassment. "I'm going to grab something to eat," she informed the duo, chuckling nervously. "I'll be right back." She excused herself from the table and approached the bar to order.

The barkeep saw her before she reached the counter. "I've got some soup made from the parsnips you sold to Pierre this morning," Gus informed her. "It might give you a few flavor profile ideas, but I won't give away my secret ingredient!" he said with a friendly wink and a chuckle.

Violet was curious what could be done with parsnips since she did not eat them often, or at all, as far as she could recall. So, she ordered the soup and headed back to the table to join her new friends. They continued to talk for a while about ideas for Elliott's next novel and a new sculpture Leah was trying to conceptualize. Over the course of the conversation Violet finished her soup, which was better than she had expected.

Collecting their dirty dishes, Violet said, "I'll take these back up to Gus. Do either of you want a refill on your drinks?" She wanted to treat Leah and Elliot for being so welcoming, if they would let her. Leah declined, but Elliott took her up on her kind offer. Gus was thankful to Violet for bringing the dishes back, stating that even the regulars did not do that very often. The young woman had a feeling he wished his customers would clean up a bit after themselves.

Exchanging the empty bowls for a glass of Elliott's alcohol of choice, Violet thanked Gus for the food and headed back to the table. After she had handed Elliott his wine and sat down, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and tilted his body in close, "My dear Violet, do not look now, but that brooding fellow Sebastian has been stealing furtive glances at you for quite some time."

Leah confirmed the author's information as discreetly as she could. "Yeah, he's totally looking at you, Violet." From across the room she could see the dark-haired man leaned on his cue pole, but he was not looking at the match he had in progress against Sam. "Not sure if it's 'furtive glance' material," the red-head added, poking fun at both Elliott's romantic interpretation and Sebastian's lack of subtlety, "but he is definitely a repeat offender." Leah shrugged, unsure what to do with the information, and her braid slipped off her shoulder. "Have you introduced yourself? Maybe he just wants to meet you," she offered in explanation.

The new farmer dodged eye contact with both people at her table, but in doing so, she accidentally locked eyes with Sebastian for a few moments. He tried to play it off as a coincidence and went back to whatever he was doing. Leah, however, caught the interaction. "Or maybe you two have already met?" she inquired carefully, now also leaning in closer to Violet to hear what she had to say.

Violet felt the heat in her face, and she knew there was no use hiding it, but she shielded her eyes with her hand anyway. "He kind of saw me half-naked last night," the young woman confessed.

Elliott immediately latched on to the juicy tidbit of information. He had been starved of it for so long he could hardly contain himself. "How scandalous!" He scooted his chair ever-closer to Violet so they could talk in a huddle. "Did he save you from drowning in the ocean? Was he spellbound by you bathing in the moonlight? Do tell!" He rested his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands expectantly.

Sharing embarrassing stories was a great way to make friends, right? Violet tried to exhale all the jitters out. It calmed her just a little. "So, I had an impromptu picnic out at the mountain lake last night," she started. "I was sitting on one of those plank bridges over the water and I got surprised by something rustling in the tall grass. I fell into the lake and I got out just fine by myself, but my clothes were soaked, and I didn't want to catch a cold." Violet crossed her arms over her body and continued in a hushed tone. "I _thought_ no one was around, so I took off my shirt to ring out all the water and that's when –"

Leah's eyes were as wide as saucers "Sebastian found you." The ginger groaned from second-hand embarrassment, "Oh, that sucks!" she sympathized, slouching in her chair.

Violet shrugged, "It's not like he tried anything or made any rude comment about my… figure." The newcomer was slow to choose her words. "We just… stared at each other… for a while, I guess? I think we were both surprised…" She could tell both Leah and Elliott were interested in what happened next. She sighed, reluctant to go on, but at this point, why bother stopping? "When it finally dawned on me that I had been caught wet and topless, I asked him to turn around and he did so immediately. But I was so mortified that someone saw me like that." Violet was more hesitant with a man at the table, but she continued, "I asked Sebastian what he had seen. _You know_ …" Violet trailed off, giving Leah a searching look.

Leah understood that Violet had wanted to know the full extent of the "damage" and find out what parts of her body Sebastian had seen. "And…?" Leah urged Violet on. Elliott was literally sitting on his hands to make sure he did not draw attention with sweeping hand gestures.

Violet exhaled a breath she did not realize she had been holding in. "He just said he saw the color blue, but I didn't have anything blue on. The only things were – "

Leah seemed confused, but the words practically spilled from Elliott's lips. "The breathtaking sapphires that are your eyes!" he almost squealed with delight. "Oh, my. How romantic! Entranced by your gaze at first sight, the rest of the world melted away as a connection between two lonely souls was forged under the light of the full moon." He whipped out a notebook and jotted down a few fragments.

Violet did not bother correcting Elliott that it was not a full moon that night and no forging of anything had occurred. Instead, the new farmer's face matched Elliott's coat as she melted into her chair. Leah swatted at the man, "Keep it down, you're making Violet uncomfortable," she scolded her friend. Everyone else was clearly engrossed in their normal routine, but that did not stop Leah from trying to keep things quiet.

"My sincerest apologies, farmer Violet," Elliott stated in a rueful tone. "I was simply overcome with inspiration and I could not let the moment slip through my fingers."

Leah turned her chair to better face Violet, "So… then you ran off? Is he harassing you now?" she demanded to know, "We can go over there right now and set things straight!" Violet shook her head, no. Leah relaxed. She did not know Sebastian well, but it was good to know from the sounds of Violet's stories that he behaved like a decent human being. The red head felt a little badly for jumping to a negative conclusion. "Maybe he's trying to wait till your alone to apologize? If he came up now to apologize, people might ask what he has to be sorry about."

Elliott had kept silent for more than thirty seconds, which was twenty seconds too long. "Or, he may be waiting to catch you as you leave to confess his undying love," the poet cooed. The artist gave him a quick tap on the wrist to bring him back down to earth.

Violet scratched the back of her head and smiled sheepishly at Elliott. "You're assuming an awful lot, aren't you? We don't know for sure that Sebastian is looking over here every once and a while like that because he's interested." She chuckled nervously, "Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship right now. I came to Pelican Town to sort things out for myself."

Leah agreed with the sentiment completely. "Yeah, I moved here to get away from my old life – and a pushy ex," she said, rolling her eyes. "I need to be wholly myself me for a while. Not half of a pair."

"THANK YOU!" the young woman concurred, a little too loudly. Several of the bar's customers looked their way wondering what caused the commotion. "Who said you need to be with someone else to be happy?"

Elliott squirmed in his chair, aching to make a comment, but Leah shot him a warning glance. "Violet, if you're not interested that's fine. _Right,_ Elliott?" An elbow dug into the writer's ribs and he got the hint.

He gave a charming smile and took one of Violet's hands in his. "Of course, miss Violet. We would never pressure you into an unwanted relationship with the local melancholic. We merely want to provide an outlet for your emotions in a safe space."

"I –" Violet hesitated. "I just don't think I can like someone after one conversation like that, you know? I don't want to start pursuing someone I just met just because they're… physically attractive."

Elliott's eyebrow rose in a slight waggle, "Oh, so you like the dark, mysterious type."

"I don't have a type!" Violet protested. "Besides, he's hardly mysterious and the smoking is totally a deal-breaker for me." The writer was about to make a rebuttal when Leah intervened, "Elliott, I know you've got writer's block right now, but please don't use Violet as source material."

The brunet ran a hand through his long locks, "There is no source material if nothing happened," he retorted with a slight pout. "And Miss Violet has made it quite clear that she is doing a little soul searching in the valley." The farmer breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she was getting through to this hopeless romantic. He leaned back in his chair and swirled the wine around in the glass. "But what is a soul without a little heart?" he said with a wistful sigh, as if he saw the face of a former flame in his drink.

Before Leah or Violet could respond, a call came from the other side of the bar, "Hey, Violet! Have you met Sam and Sebastian?" It was Abigail, Pierre and Caroline's daughter. The one she met at the shop this morning.

"You can stay here if you want to avoid Sebastian," Leah assured her new friend. "We can just keep you here at the table and take the blame for hogging the new person."

Violet paused, glancing over at the other end of the bar. It would be rude to Sam not to introduce herself. She came to The Stardrop Saloon to socialize, after all. But, if Elliott was right – which to be honest, she was not convinced due to his tendency to romanticize even the smallest of gestures – things might get awkward with Sebastian. But she could handle awkward, right? "It's fine, but thanks, Leah," Violet assured her. "I'll see the both of you later."

* * *

Sebastian was in silent panic ever since Violet's shout had caused a moment of commotion. What was she thanking Elliott and Leah for? Was she telling them all about the night before? Was she getting validation for her view of his appalling behavior? To those two, he was probably just the weird, quiet guy who never spoke to them and hated the sun. Abigail joked about the vampire thing, but maybe that was his reputation with the rest of the town. Sebastian had no real way of knowing.

As he watched Violet make her way over to their group, he tried to evaluate the situation from a more positive angle. Maybe no one had been talking about him. Why should he assume that their conversation had anything to do with him? Still, Sebastian half-expected Violet to address him with a snide comment about their encounter the night before, but she drew near Sam first.

"You must be Sam, right?" Violet addressed the blond, offering her hand.

"Good to meet you, Violet," he countered as he shook her hand to complete the meeting gesture. "I've heard a bit about you around town. Vincent said you were 'okay for a stranger.'"

Violet was not the least bit surprised by that. As far as she knew, Sam was the last person young person in town she had yet to meet. Violet was also grateful meeting Sam today. She was not sure if any of the people in this small town were interested in the same stuff she was, but Sam's hair made her geek out a little. His mane literally defied the laws of gravity. It was _anime_ hair.

Violet decided to go for it. Maybe someone in this town, hopefully in this room, had similar interests. It would be so much easier to make more friends that way. "I know I'm weird for asking this first thing, but I'm dying to ask. The hair…" she gestured to Sam's head. "Were you a big fan of Goku, Vash, or Cho growing up?" Violet asked to quench her curiosity. She circled Sam like a vulture, checking to see if his hair really did stick straight up all the way around. "Like, really, how do you get it up like that?" It did not make any sense, but honestly, neither did a lot of people's hair in this town.

Sebastian recognized Violet's references. _DBZ, Trigun, and…_ Well, there were lots of potential references for that last one. Maybe one he had never read before _. She reads action comics! Or at least watches the shows based on them…_ Part of Sebastian screamed internally, not knowing how to handle this new information. He did not know of a single woman in town who shared that in common with him. Even with video games, Abigail was more into first-person shooters than strategic games. _And she's not afraid to talk about them._ That opened all sorts of potential conversations. _I wonder if she's read Cave Saga X?_ he pondered.

It had been a long time since someone asked Sam about his hair and he understood at least one of Violet's references. He smirked, "Well, farmer Violet, I'll have you know my hair just does this on its own," he told the newcomer. "I attribute it to all the awesome air I get skateboarding."

Violet squinted at him questioningly, and Sebastian caught himself thinking it was kind of cute. Maybe it was because she was so short. "I don't believe it. There's no way you don't have hairspray or a gallon of hair gel in there to achieve super saiyan hair." Now that the newbie brought it up, Abigail was genuinely curious about it, too. "I'm going to have to agree with Violet on this one, Sam." She had never seen Sam's morning routine, but it had to involve some sort of hair product.

Sam beamed with confidence, widening his stance and folding his arms over his chest. "Ladies – and Sebastian," he added to his best friend with a comedic eyebrow waggle, "if you want to touch my hair to prove yourselves wrong, then by all means."

Violet hesitated, but Abigail went straight for it. "HOW?" she exclaimed in disbelief as she stroked Sam's head. "It's like petting a chinchilla!" Much to Sam's surprise, Abigail grabbed his shirt to lower his head closer to her level to pet his head.

"Wait, really?" Violet did not expect that at all. While part of her had to know for herself, rather than patting Sam's head, which she thought would be too strange for a first meeting, she poked at it instead. It gave in like a puff of cotton candy. "No way…" Violet whispered in disbelief. She gave it a second poke to confirm, then looked up at Sam apologetically. "It defies all logic, but you were telling the truth." Violet flashed him a friendly smile and a thumbs-up, "Props on the saiyan hair."

"Apology accepted," Sam said with a smug look, "on the condition that you owe me a favor."

Violet considered this for a moment. She supposed her doubting Sam was rude, but was it worthy of a favor? "Nothing sexual…" Violet started to negotiate, poking her thumbs through her belt loops absent-mindedly. She wondered if Sebastian had mentioned anything to his friends about the night before. If he was the kind of guy to… exaggerate.

Sam's chocolate eyes widened in shock and he waved his hands furiously in front of him. "Oh, no. Definitely not like that."

Violet relaxed a bit. Judging by Sam's reaction, Sebastian had not said anything as far as she could tell. She addressed Sam, "Well, even then I'm not sure that's worth a favor..." The woman stopped to consider for a moment, "How about a trust-fall moment?"

Sam looked at the newbie quizzically. "A what?" Did she want him to catch her?

The new farmer looked a little embarrassed at her lack of clarity. She and Rebecca called them "trust fall moments," but that did not mean the term existed in the general population. "Not literally a trust fall, just like… you ask me to trust you in any given situation and you get it. No questions asked."

"Oh, cool," Sam said, "That works." He held out a fist for her to bump, "Gotta seal the deal." Violet did so and posed a new problem. "What about Abigail?" she asked. "She doubted you, too!" Sam smiled at her, "Thank you for the reminder!" he exclaimed appreciatively. Abigail did not look amused and began to argue her case.

Sebastian tuned out. There was something about this whole situation that felt off. Why was Sam acting like this? He was usually so go-with-the-flow but asking for reciprocation on something like this was not like him. Or, was it? There hadn't been a new girl in town since Leah moved in a few years back and neither of them really spoke to her much. Did Sam have a thing for Violet already? Or was he just acting differently around a new person?

"Hey, Sebastian!" Sam called him back to his surroundings. "Violet just agreed we should all play pool together. You in?"

They had never played on teams before. Three was an odd number, though, so it made some sense. Either way, Sebastian was confident in his skills. And he did not have to talk to Abigail or Violet to play pool, so he could not screw things up that way. "Fine, just know that my team is going to win," he said with a cocky smirk.

Sam smiled sheepishly, "Actually, bud…"

"It's guys versus girls," Abigail stated smugly with a competitive fire blazing in her aqua eyes. "And we're going to destroy you."

Sebastian had not expected this turn of events. Sam looked at his dark-haired friend half-apologetically, "You're stuck with me, Sebastian!" he said with a goofy grin. Sebastian groaned in response. "I'm gonna have to carry you, aren't I?"

His best friend gave him a double thumbs up, "Every step of the way!" he concurred, grabbing a pole from the rack.

"ALRIGHT," Abigail announced, brandishing her cue stick. "C'mon Violet, chalk up. We're going to show the boys how it's done."

Violet considered her skills in pool were about average. She rubbed the chalk cube against the maple cue. But there was nothing wrong with average, Violet thought. She did not want to dampen Abigail's spirit of competition. Clearly Sebastian was confident in his skills from his premature declaration of victory and Sam was supposedly bad because of the reaction Sebastian gave when he found out his partner. She hoped it would all average out and the four of them would have a friendly, slightly competitive game. But Violet had no idea regarding Abigail's skill level. From what she said in the quick chat they had before deciding teams, Abigail mostly sat and watched. That would have driven Violet crazy. Sure, she could sit out a round or two, but to watch the entire night every Friday? No wonder Abigail was so pumped for this match.

"Since you were so confident, Sebastian, why don't you break for us?" Violet suggested. Abigail enthusiastically seconded the plan. Factually, Violet did not play pool often and the last time had been years ago. To be good at it, there was a lot of geometry and physics involved. Not that the player was entirely conscious of the calculations they made. Muscle memory could work just as well with an experienced player. She was decent with geometry, but physics… only practical, everyday things like gravity made sense to her. Violet's understanding of kinetic forces was to be desired. Her eyes glazed over for a moment as old word problems about the collision of random objects danced in her head.

Still slightly put out by having Sam as his partner, Sebastian muttered under his breath and broke the starting formation, knocking one of the solid balls in. "Guess the girls are stripes…" he said. They then stopped to clarify rules for their game and decided one ball per person per turn unless it was the last banded or solid ball and the 8-ball. That way, someone like Sebastian could not just knock all of his team's balls in before anyone else had a change to play. Sam lifted his arm to give Sebastian a fist bump, but his partner declined by passing him without a word. Sam trailed behind, exaggerating Sebastian's grumpy mannerisms mockingly. Violet giggled quietly and the blond noticed, but Sam straightened back up just as his broody friend turned around to see what was so funny.

Abigail did not wait to ask if Violet wanted to go first. The young woman with jewel-tone hair took the initiative and knocked the 12-ball in one of the corner pockets. "Take that!" she shouted, as if it were a declaration of war. Sam tried but missed. It was Violet's turn. Aiming the cue, she tried for the 14-ball. The green-striped orb banked on the side and missed the pocket by half an inch or so.

A few rounds went by with similar results. Sebastian and Abigail would each make one in, Sam always missed, and Violet would get frustratingly close. There were only two balls left on both sides when something miraculous occurred. Sam sank a shot. He stood up, dumbfounded as the 1-ball dropped into the hole. The skater's face evolved from that of a person desperately hoping, to one of shock, to a kid in a candy store. "LUCKY NUMBER ONE!" he proclaimed for the entirety of The Stardrop Saloon to hear, making a quick lap around the table in celebration. The girls laughed at his antics and a few chuckles could be heard beyond the game room. For once, Sebastian decided to let his friend have this and did not make a sarcastic remark about Sam's one and only success.

For Violet, Sam's display fanned the flames of her competitiveness and her previous failures made her even more determined. She lowered herself to eye-level of the pool table and chose her target. Violet chose the 13-ball. Hopping up onto the ledge to make up for her lack of reach, Violet leaned over the center and struck the orange striped ball with the tip of the pole. It sped toward the center pocket and fell in with a loud clack. The young woman smiled, pleased with herself. Abigail gave her a high-five as Violet slid off the side of the table and they both sat down on the couch. "You're up, boys!" The game was tied.

Unsurprisingly, Sebastian's shot connected, and the 6-ball fell into the designated hole. All that remained was the 8-ball. Sure, he could easily make the shot, but Sebastian could also do something he had not done in a while. He could jump the cue ball over the girls' striped one and still win. Sebastian was tempted. He could end it one of two ways: with a normal, boring shot, or a trick shot. His hubris made him aim low on the 8-ball to make the jump. He noticed from the corner of his eye that the others looked surprised he was not taking the most direct shot. Sebastian smirked and shot the cue forward.

The white cue ball hopped over the remaining striped ball and connected with the block orb on the other side, but not at the angle he anticipated. It went careening the other direction and contacted the girls' striped ball, which he had just jumped. It promptly fell into the nearest pocket with a clack. Sebastian was aghast. All Abigail had to do was make a straight shot down the length of the table to knock in the 8-ball and win.

Abigail could not believe her luck. She and Violet were about to beat the guys and it was finally her moment to shine. She ceremoniously leaned over to make the shot and winked one eye to aim. The cue ball smacked against the 8-ball, which rolled down the velvety lane and gently fell into the corner pocket. Abigail and Violet shrieked with excitement at their victory and high-fived each other with a satisfying smack. It stung a little, but they did not care. Sam did not seem much affected by the loss, but Sebastian clearly regretted his decision and agonized over it on the blue sofa.

Now was the time to act. Sam signaled Abigail before he made a proposal, "Hey, Violet! While Sebastian and I congratulate you ladies on the win, I'm sure we will wanna redeem ourselves as soon as possible. Are you interested in joining us for a rematch next Friday?"

Violet flashed a wide smile. People wanted to make plans with her a week from now? "Of course!" she accepted the invitation. Her competitive nature got the better of her, and she talked smack, "That is, unless Sebastian doesn't think he can handle it?" Abigail nearly bit her lip trying to contain her commentary. The bait Violet incidentally provided was almost too perfect. But would Sebastian take it?

Sebastian scoffed. "I let you girls win," he lied, trying to save some face. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed with annoyance. "But if it means that much to you we can play for real next week."

Hook, line, and sinker. Abigail winked at Sam, then turned to Violet. "I look forward to working with you again," she said in a business-like manner. It was then Abigail noticed the time. "Well boys," she said with a stretch and a yawn, "It's about time for me to head home." The amethyst-haired woman took an unsuspecting Sam by the arm, "Walk me back, okay?" Sam was about to protest that the walk was less than one hundred feet, but Abigail silenced him with a finger over his mouth and dragged him out of the game room. "Night, guys!" Abigail called as they left the bar.

Sebastian knew there was something fishy going on with the way Abigail was acting but had no idea regarding her intentions. He sighed. _Women._ Sebastian looked up to discover that Violet still lingered in the game room with him. She was in the middle of racking the maple cues and fishing the numbers balls from the table pockets. The gang never bothered because they were the only ones that used the pool table in town.

"Isn't that kinda pointless?" he asked her. "I have literally never seen anyone play on this pool table besides the three of us."

"Four of us," Violet corrected him immediately. "Abigail and I just beat you and Sam. Or are you that eager to forget?" Maybe it was unfair to Sebastian, but it had been too long since Violet had participated in some quality banter. Back at Joja Corp. that kind of behavior would have been frowned upon.

Sebastian sat in a huff for a few moments before grudgingly getting up and scooping the 8-ball out of the nearest pocket. He brought it up chest level and stared it down like it had insulted his honor. "Betrayed by your own team color," Violet shook her head, poking fun at his expression and the monochrome of his current attire. "Toss the traitor here, would you?" she had the rest of the numbers in the triangle, with the middle slot left for the black orb.

The young man threw it to her underhanded, just in case. Violet snatched the ball out of the air and dropped the 8-ball in its designated slot with one graceful motion. "You know, I miss having traditions like this," she said, as if confessing to the air and Sebastian just happened to be present. "My friends and I used to get together at least once a month for anime, gaming, whatever."

Her cobalt eyes stole a look over at the couch, where Sebastian had just reclaimed his seat. "Things like that don't always last forever though, right? We all grow up and grow apart…" She shrugged her shoulders, as if doing so would free her from the loneliness of looking back on what she had compared to what remained. Sebastian could feel a melancholy air around Violet for just a moment before she exhaled sharply and tapped her hands on the pool table. "But that's just life, isn't it?" The air of depression dissipated immediately. That was a skill to be able to turn the switch like that. He had not had to do that in years, though. The heavy pull of sadness was just something with which he had grown accustomed.

Sebastian noticed that although Violet was smiling, the corners of her eyes were not in agreement in that moment. So she wasn't perfect at it… Violet turned to look at him full-on. "I know I'm not worthy of your skill and all," Violet told Sebastian sarcastically, gesturing at the pool table, "but for what it's worth… thanks for letting me infiltrate your friend group for a bit."

The man thrust his hands in his pockets, "Don't mention it." Sebastian muttered about something and headed toward the exit. It was about time he got home, too. Violet followed him far enough to grab her bag from a mysteriously vacant table in the main room of the bar. She could have sworn she saw Leah and Elliott out of the corner of her eye just a moment ago. Without overthinking it, Violet shouldered the bag and headed out the door to go home.

It was dark outside, and before her eyes could adjust, she bumped into something on the stairs. The breath was knocked out of her lungs and she heard a grunt from the object of the collision. Sebastian had loitered just outside the entrance and Violet had walked right into him. "You're more solid than you look," he complained, massaging his arm.

Violet got a bit defensive, "Well, what are you doing standing in the doorway to get out?" she shot back. "You're lucky it was me who ran into you or you might have fallen down the stairs!"

Sebastian's mouth twitched at the last comment. _She nags like my mom…_ he thought. He did not admit it aloud, but someone like Clint would have probably knocked him down the stairs. So... it was probably best not to stand at the top of the stairs next time. Sebastian opened his mouth to respond, "Well, seeing as how you walked me back to my door last night," he replied, "I figured it's only fair I walk you to yours tonight."

The farmer was taken aback. "Oh…" She tucked her hair behind her ear and out of her face but ended up looking at her feet rather than Sebastian. "Uh…" Violet was not sure what to say.

Sebastian did not make eye contact, either. Instead he stared up at the night sky and shrugged, "Look, I just don't like owing people favors…" he explained.

She noticed that his hair blended seemed to blend with the dark sky above them. "I just…" she was unsure of how to phrase her meaning. "Please, don't feel obligated," she finally decided upon. "Your place was on my way home last night and my house is in a completely different direction for you."

His mouth twitched into a frown, "If you don't want me around, it's whatever. Just say so."

Violet became angry with that statement, "Don't _do_ that," she demanded.

Sebastian, puzzled, looked down at her reddening face. Huh. She really wore those emotions of hers right on her face for everyone to see. "Do what?" he asked inquiringly.

"That thing where you assume that I don't want you around," Violet snapped. She whipped her head around to face Sebastian. "That's not it at all!" she assured the young man. "I just don't want people hanging out with me just because they pity the new girl."

Sebastian's eyebrows rose and his lips made the slightest curve upward at the irony, "Well, now who's making assumptions about other people's motives?"

Violet's jaw remained agape to fire back a response, but she paused and slowly closed her lips back together. "Fine," she admitted grudgingly, "then why do you want to walk me home?" she asked, hoping to get a straight answer.

The young man started walking west toward Violet's farm without her. He had enough of arguing right outside the saloon. He spied someone in the window briefly but did not catch who it was. "It may come as a shock to you, but I think we have a few interests in common since I recognized a few of your lame references today," Sebastian told her. He fought the urge to glance back, silently willing her to follow along and continue the conversation. "What do you like to read, Violet?"

To his surprise, Violet caught up with him and appeared by his side. "I'll be honest I'm kind of all over the place," she finally said. "The vast majority of what I read is fantasy. I can go for a good sci-fi, but I'm not hugely into aliens unless they author does some exceptional world-building." Violet hesitated for a moment, then decided to give the rest of her list, "And then I occasionally get into bouts when all I want to read are sappy romances or political intrigue dramas."

Sebastian could relate to the first half of her answer but was not into the romance or political intrigue. "So, do you read Cave Saga X? I just read the latest volume the other night and I couldn't put it down!"

"The light novel or the comic?" Violet asked for clarification. She narrowed her eyes at him, waiting to see if he would give the _correct_ answer.

Sebastian blinked, "There's a light novel?"

He did not even know about the wrong answer. Violet laughed, "No worries, it sucks in comparison to the comic, though the series as a whole has problems overall."

The raven-haired man looked almost offended, "Problems? It's the greatest series in the last decade!" he said, defending his current favorite.

Violet gave him a judgmental look, "The women in the series are a complete after-thought," she contended. "Especially Herare, who arguably has the best abilities in the entire expedition force but instead the author has her stuck in an eternal pity party because Zuron won't give her the time of day. Boo fucking hoo!" she complained with unfettered annoyance.

 _Okay, so she has a point there_. Sebastian was surprised by her passion on the subject, even if he was still not entirely in agreement with her assessment. As the resident comic book nerd, he tried to formulate a rebuttal to Violet's attack. "What about Valterra?" he reasoned. "She can control earth and stone on a pretty large scale."

"And yet the author uses her as a plot device to conveniently build escape tunnels or throw giant rocks at people who see it coming from a mile away," the woman shot back. "She could literally entomb her enemies alive, but _never_ does."

Sebastian reflected on the demonstrations of scale regarding Valterra's abilities. She crafted giant caverns underground, grew stalagmites and stalactites with the snap of her fingers, collapsed tunnels behind the crew to make their escape from various villains. "Oh, fuck." The realization overcame him like a wave of cold water. "You're right…" he admitted as he thought over each of the major conflicts in the series. Valterra could have literally crushed the antagonists. Not only that, but although the women were contributors in battle, they always wound up as supporting actors or damsels in distress in the end.

The frustration that he did not realize this sooner began to rise in him. "Why did you have to go and do that?" he whined in the most dignified manner he could muster. "Regardless of the plot device point, the shortcoming on Valterra's use of her abilities seems like a huge, gaping plot hole now!"

As they walked side by side, the farmer noticed Sebastian did not look as despondent this evening as he had the last. Sure, he looked crushed in a different kind of way because of her criticisms of what Violet could only assume was his current favorite comic series. She hated to ruin comics, but at the same time she liked to watch fans implode with the exposure of a major fault to which they had no evidence to prove otherwise. Violet thought the muttering to himself about all the ways the conflicts could have been handled now that he really thought about it was kind of cute.

"Welcome to my world, the universe of frustrated nerds who happen to be female," she said with a sweeping gesture to nowhere in particular. It was then Sebastian realized that they had already reached Violet's farm. Worse yet, there was the nagging pull of disappointment in his chest. The young man realized he did not want to leave just yet, but there was no real reason for him to stay, either. He and Violet barely knew each other.

Violet rummaged through her bag and found the parsnip seeds she bought this morning at Pierre's. Sebastian cocked his head in disbelief, "Are you really going to plant seeds this late at night?"

"Better now while it's cool and dark than when it's hot and sunny," she responded, quickly pulling her hair back into a ponytail and getting on her hands and knees. Sebastian could not argue with that logic and he could not deny that Violet looked nice with her hair up. He awkwardly stood on the path in front of the house while Violet got to work poking holes in the dirt and filling them with tiny seeds. "Are you going stand there like a dork staring at my butt or are you going to help me?"

Sebastian protested much too quickly for someone who was completely innocent. "I wasn't even looking at you!" The man could not see but Violet was suppressing laughter. It was so easy to get a rise out of him; she could not help herself but get a little revenge for the night before. Even if it was not his fault, Violet did not like being caught in such a compromising manner. The farmer made a note to rein things back in a bit. _If I do this too much and he might take it the wrong way,_ she reminded herself. Violet did not want to give too many mixed signals. After all, while she did like Sebastian so far, she did not think it was enough to even consider dating him.

While Sebastian did not get on the ground and dirty himself, he did open the seed packets and hand them off to her. All while avoiding looking at Violet completely. When she was done, Violet dusted her hands off and quickly rinsed them in the pond. "Thanks for the help," she said, making sure to show genuine appreciate in her tone. "And I know you weren't actually looking at me, so no worries," she told Sebastian, that time only half-apologetically.

His dark bangs fell in front of his face so she could not see his expression, but he did not make a rude comment back, so Violet assumed she was forgiven. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, exposing the crest of her hip. That time, Sebastian happened to be looking and a tinge of pink flushed his cheeks. The night was cloudy enough to make him confident that Violet would not notice, but he did not want to stick around and risk it. "I'd… better get home. It's late," Sebastian informed her, heading back the way they came. He had to get out of here before his body reacted to the mayhem in his head in more noticeable ways.

"Oh, Sebastian, wait!" Violet called after him. He turned part-way, wondering what she could possibly want now. The farmer twisted awkwardly and pointed beyond the house, "The fastest path to your place is actually that way." The young woman inattentively began to mess with her ponytail with the hand that pointed toward the path. "I figured it would get you home sooner, since it's so late." It was approaching midnight at that point, after all.

"It's fine, I like to walk at night," he said, trying to keep from showing his face. _This is ridiculous. What am I, a child?_ Sebastian stormed off as quickly as he could as Violet wished him a good night and a safe walk home. As soon as he was a safe distance away that he would blend in with the night, he waited to make sure she got safely inside her house before putting more distance between them. Violet paused at the top of the stairs for a bit, sighed, and then entered the house. Once he could see the glow of the lights from the inside of the cottage, Sebastian walked on toward the familiar shadows on the way to town. The weather was perfect for a night walk and he needed time to think anyway…


	11. Essence of the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet receives an invitation from the local wizard, the mysterious M. Rasmodius.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters.
> 
> Sorry about the long delay. My partner and I might have had a mild case of COVID. Other than being sore now, we seem to be okay.

**Essence of the Forest**

Violet's morning routine was simple: wake up, grab some breakfast, check her mailbox, and then tend to the garden. The rest of the day she was free to fish, explore the town, and socialize. On this particular morning, Violet received a strange blue postcard.

_My sources tell me you've been poking around inside the old community center._

_Why don't you pay me a visit?_

_My chambers are west of the forest lake, in the stone tower. I may have information regarding your… 'rat problem.'_

_M. Rasmodius, Wizard_

Violet cringed. So not only were there more people to meet in town, but there was some LARPer who insisted on referring to himself as a wizard, even to the new person in town. How the hell did he know that the Mayor called it a "rat problem?" Was this Rasmodius guy friends with Lewis? That must be it, no one else was there yesterday morning. There was a small, crude map enclosed as well. How in the world had she missed a giant tower in the woods?

She was so drained from socializing lately, Violet considered not going at all. Running on fumes when meeting an over-enthusiastic nerd who enjoyed the physicality of live-action role playing was too much. As Violet examined the postcard more closely and noticed the pyramids and palm trees pictured, but more importantly, the tiny figure in the bottom right corner… looked like an apple with little legs and eyes. Just like the thing she saw in the abandoned Community Center.

Maybe this self-proclaimed "wizard" really did know something that would be useful to her. Violet inhaled deeply and slowly released the breath. Okay, so maybe she was jumping to some conclusions, but there was no way he was an _actual_ wizard. No matter how much she wished it, there was no Hogwarts to attend in the real world. Maybe he was some dude into Wicca or something? While she had only heard of modern witches, Violet had to admit she did not know much about it. Maybe it included men, too?

Violet looked up at the sky to gauge the time. It was not too late in the morning just yet. Perhaps she could get to the forest lake before the sun got too high in the sky. "Oh, what the hell," Violet muttered. The farmer went quickly, trying to make progress before she changed her mind, and made her way south to the trail toward the Cindersap Forest.

The young woman once again found herself impressed by the beauty of the forest in the valley. Everything around her was such a vibrant and healthy green. To Violet's relief, she did not encounter a single person on the way to the tower. The aura of the Cindersap Forest had a rejuvenating effect on her. Maybe coming to visit this "wizard" would not be so bad after all. If nothing else, she got to spend more time among nature today. Violet had been so preoccupied with countless thoughts lately. The forest helped Violet clear her mind.

Peeking over the treetops, Violet spied the brown stone cylinder covered in ivy and topped with a slate stone roof. There was a copper weather vane in the shape of a chicken and a strange brass spy glass – or perhaps a telescope – jutting out at an awkward angle toward the sky. It took the farmer a while to figure out how to get to the tower. Violet's first instinct had been to head directly toward it, but Rasmodius' tower was atop of a large, grassy cliff. Going north only resulted in finding a heavily wooded path blocked off by a large, dead tree trunk. Violet tried taking her axe to it, but the wood was too dense, and she hardly made a chip in the bark. She might need a better axe for wood like this. The young woman decided that this Rasmodius fellow would not invite her to a place she could not reasonably reach, so she walked south along the bottom edge of the cliff until she found a corner to turn. Sure enough, a large set of stairs and a dirt path led right up to the heavy wooden door of the tower.

Violet was surprised with how well-hidden the structure was despite being on an incline. If she had not known to look for it, the farmer doubted she would have even looked for the roof at all. She had to wonder if all the townspeople knew about this so-called wizard. _I probably should have asked around first…_ Violet thought, starting to second-guess her impulsive decision to come here alone. She considered going back to find Leah in her nearby cottage when the door creaked open ominously. There was no one there. "Oh, hell, no…" the woman proclaimed as she turned her body to leave. Violet had seen plenty of horror movies to know that this was a terrible idea. She always laughed at the idiots who were led to their gruesome deaths like moths to a flame. "Ah, come in," a mysterious voice ordered. Violet noticed to her dismay that her feet were moving of their own accord toward the open door. Violet panicked internally as she entered the threshold.

The female farmer did not immediately see who beckoned her into the tower. The large room was lit by a few windows and a fireplace, which despite the warm spring air, housed a roaring fire. There were plenty of small log piles around to keep the fire fed for at least a few days. Violet saw an enormous black cauldron to her left, which contained a concerningly bright green liquid in a roiling boil. A vapor rose into the air and flowed out from the rim of the vessel. The room smelled like someone was steeping herbal tea, which may have been the reason for the molten fluid's color. In the back left corner, an empty pedestal stood upon a shiny lilac-colored floor. Violet wondered what the pedestal was supposed to display.

To Violet's right stood a wooden table with a pair of matching chairs. On the tabletop, strange orbs about the size of pool balls: two white, one red. Beyond the table, an intricately drawn design was sketched onto the floor in white chalk. More of the orbs were placed in strategic places upon the pattern. The design gave off an odd air that made the hair on Violet's body stand up on end. Mounds of books were strewn about the floor, and from the titles, most were in languages Violet did not even recognize.

Movement came from beyond the decorated circle upon the floor. A bearded man with deep purple hair approached the farmer. He wore a black hat with a gold insignia, and a matching cape with gold trim fluttering behind him. It was odd to see a cowboy hat and a cape in the same outfit, but that was not the important thing now. "I am Rasmodius…" the man announced somberly. Violet sensed an air of self-importance in his voice. He went on, "Seeker of the arcane truths. Mediary between physical and ethereal."

 _Oh, for fuck's sake, he's given himself multiple titles?_ Violet thought in annoyance. It was one thing when some teen was like this, their brains were not fully developed. But a grown man? The wizard continued briefly, "Master of the seven elementals. Keeper of the sacred cha – you get the point." The farmer was slightly surprised that this Rasmodius fellow had enough self-awareness to realize he was rambling, but she was not about to complain. She wanted to ask him about the strange force that drew her into the tower. Violet had decided to leave, so why did her feet move in the opposite direction? The young woman did not believe in hypnotism, so there had to be an explanation.

However, Rasmodius had other plans. "And you… Violet. The one whose arrival I have long foreseen," he stated in an enigmatic tone. He could have learned her name from anyone in town at this point, so Violet was not freaked out about that. "Here," he said, gesturing to the chalk on the floor. "I'd like to show you something."

The wizard muttered and Violet could not make out the words, but soon a bright light flashed in the center of the circle. "Behold!" Rasmodius announced as a rotund figure appeared. It was a small green apple-like creature, identical to the one she had seen the previous morning. The poor thing seemed to squirm in its prison of light.

"You've seen one before, haven't you?" The farmer hesitated to answer. Perhaps her silence was enough for the strange man, "They call themselves the 'Junimos…'" he informed Violet. "Mysterious spirits, these ones… For some reason, they refuse to speak with me." The young woman was not surprised. _Probably because you keep trapping them!_ Violet thought angrily. The poor creature tapped against the barrier pitifully, but she could not hear a sound. Ironically, Violet was more concerned about releasing the Junimo than she was about leaving the tower herself, or even how the wizard was doing all of this. However, just as quickly as it appeared, the Junimo was gone.

The wizard turned to face Violet, "I'm not sure why they've moved into the Community Center, but you have no reason to fear them." _I'm more afraid of you than I am the cute little anthropomorphic apples,_ the woman thought, though she did not dare say so out loud. She remembered the weird golden square written in what she had assumed to be a code of some sort, but perhaps it was another language? This Rasmodius guy had all sort of books in languages she did not comprehend, so perhaps he could provide her with answers worth her trouble.

"Do they - the Junimos, I mean – have a written language?" Violet asked hesitantly. She was not sure what he wanted from them, but at the very least maybe he could let her borrow a dictionary. The question caught the wizard's attention. "What makes you say that?"

Violet explained how she found the writing in the Community Center and its general location within the dilapidated building.

Rasmodius stroked his beard pensively. "You found a golden scroll written in an unknown language? Most interesting…" He moved about the room and tucked away a series of mysterious items into his cloak. "Stay here," he ordered. "I'm going to see for myself." When Violet started to head for the door to lead the way, he added, "I'll return shortly."

The young woman could not explain how, but the wizard disappeared before her eyes. She could not decide if this Rasmodius guy was more of a Criss Angel or the real deal Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry type. While a huge part of her doubted the existence of real magic, there was a small part of her that hoped she could be a witch half as wonderfully badass Dame Maggie Smith's portrayal of Minerva McGonagall.

Hearing the squeak of the old door hinges, the woman jumped in surprise and whipped around to face the potential attacker. But it was Rasmodius. Somehow, the wizard re-entered the tower through the front door behind her. "How did - ?!"

The wizard did not even bother answering, "I found the note…" Rasmodius informed her, slapping a copy on the table. "That language was obscure, but I was able to decipher it: We, the Junimo, are happy to aid you. In return, we ask for gifts of the valley. " He paused for dramatic flair, "If you are one with the forest then you will see the true nature of this scroll." Violet looked at the man quizzically. She had so many questions and none of them were being answered. What were the Junimos, exactly? How did Rasmodius come to discover them? Why could they both see them, but Mayor Lewis could not? Where does your magic originate? Who the hell are you, really? Violet knew she would not get her answers from the wizard, however. "So… what does that mean?" Violet asked incredulously.

Rasmodius began to pace to and fro, stroking his purple beard. This was taking longer than when he supposedly apparated to the Community Center and back. In her boredom, Violet realized that he was the second person in town with purple hair other than herself. While they were all different shades of purple, three out of the five people with dyed hair chose the same color. Was purple that basic now that middle aged weirdos were dying their hair? she thought in annoyance.

Meanwhile, the wizard went continued to ponder. "Hmm… 'One with the forest…' What do they mean?" Rasmodius found himself stopped in front of the bubbling cauldron and breathed in its scent. The man's face lit up with a realization and hopped up off the ground in excitement. "Ah-hah!" He turned toward Violet, his cape whipping behind him, and motioned her to stand next to him. "Come here!" he ordered. Despite her caution, she obeyed. If she had a chance to see more magic, maybe she could figure out if this all was an elaborate prank or something far greater.

"My cauldron is bubbling with ingredients from the forest. Baby fern, moss grub, caramel-top toadstool…" Violet only recognized one of those ingredients. She was not entirely sure that the other two names were not made up. "Can you smell it?" the wizard asked in a raving manner. He scooped a pint directly into the cauldron and offered it to Violet. "Here. Drink up," he instructed. Rasmodius loosely clenched his fists in front of his body in emphasis, "Let the essence of the forest permeate your body."

Violet inhaled the scent from the… tea? The smell was horrendous, as if the aromas of each ingredient were competing with each other, rather than complementing one another. It made her gag. The woman looked up at the wizard doubtfully, "You're saying if I drink this… I can talk to the little apple people and read their writing?"

"The Junimos," Rasmodius corrected with an air of pretentiousness. "And that is my belief, yes."

The farmer was not sure if this was entirely worth the risk, but Junimos could make themselves invisible and they were offering help of some kind. Violet had to admit she was curious. _Maybe they could teach me some earth-magic? I could be a druid!_ Violet imagined the possibilities. She had a few druidic characters in past D&D campaigns, she could be creative and have fun with it. After bracing herself, Violet took the plunge and chugged the contents of the pint.

Immediately, she felt flush, as if a fever suddenly overtook her body. Violet felt her body drop to the floor, but she did not feel the impact. Her vision became swirls of emerald green and dancing leaves as they fell toward her field of vision. The overwhelming odor of pine filled her nose and she could think of nothing else but enormous, ancient conifers. The deep-rooted trees that see so many things throughout their lives and the pine tar that flowed through them, binding all the knowledge together like glue. Her head was swimming through verdant leaves and grass, the winds teasing the edges like waves of water. Each chittering woodland creature, twittering bird, and drop of water heading toward the ocean flowed through her mind like a powerful current. Before she knew it, she was swept along herself.

* * *

Violet did not know how long she had been on the ground when she regained her consciousness. Gripping her face, the farmer sat up straight, but her head was still swimming. The movement made her feel nauseous. "What the fuck was that?" Violet complained miserably to herself, resting her head between her knees. She brushed her hair away from her face, rubbed her temples gently, and breathed slowly and deliberately. When Violet finally felt like she could stand without falling back down, she rose to her feet and checked her bag to make sure nothing was missing. Everything checked out, but it did not make her feel better that she drank an unknown substance and had no idea how she got back on her porch.

It did not seem that the wizard did anything to her physically, but Violet was uncomfortable with the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was embarrassed by her foolishness, but luckily there was no evidence that anything was wrong with her. Was this just a sick practical joke? Violet failed to see the humor in it. And yet… on the edge of her vision, she saw the dancing motion of a yellow apple with twig-like arms peeking at her from around the corner of her house. "Okay, so maybe the crazy wizard man has something going for him," Violet admitted. "But whether or not this was all worth the incredibly stupid and questionable life choice I just made is yet to be determined."

Her dark blue eyes glanced back to the spot the Junimo had been. It was gone, but she saw a grey one just a bit further beyond. "Hallo" it called over to her. "Fuck, it just greeted me, didn't it?" Violet realized. "And I understood what it was saying."

She sighed, "Do I follow the little forest spirits or do I crawl into bed and see if this all blows over by the time wake up?" Violet asked herself. It was only mid-day, as if hardly any time had passed since she went down to the wizard's tower. Or had she lost a day? Violet checked her phone. It was still Saturday and only a few hours had gone by since she left to see Rasmodius. A small group of Junimos beckoned her over toward the bus stop – and toward the Community Center, if she had to make a guess. Violet held down her speed-dial #1 and flopped her head against the receiver. It went straight to voice mail. "Beeeeeex!" Violet whined into her phone, sounding a bit drunk. Or maybe she sounded stoned, but it was hard to tell in the moment. "I'm going to follow the little apple people that take care of the woods around here. I drank their essence and now I can understand them."

Her stomach growled audibly and she suddenly realized she skipped lunch, "They look like they would be delicious, but they're way too cute to eat," Violet complained pitifully. She grabbed a field snack from her bag and munched on it. Did the Juminos care that she was eating seeds? Would that offend them? Her thoughts were too clouded to care at the moment. All the farmer knew was that she needed a snack to keep her going. "Anyway…" the young woman continued, munching the bar of seeds. "If they find my body, I just want you to know you're the best friend a lady could ask for and I love you, girl." With that, she ended the call. Violet was not in a proper mind to make any wise decisions at the moment, but she was not entirely cognizant of that fact. As she ended the call, a chorus of "come!" and excited cheers erupted as Violet approached the small band of Junimos, phasing in and out of sight as she followed them toward the Community Center.


	12. Reality Check

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haley tries to spread gossip about the new girl in town. Maru and Violet have a heart-to-heart that Maru hopes will help her better understand her brother. Same gives Sebastian a reality check on the speed and efficiency of the rumor mill in a small town. Violet and Maru discuss the existence of the Junimos and town traditions. Maru makes a plan for the Flower Dance in a few weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional characters and tags will be added as they are introduced in the chapters. 
> 
> My apologies for the delay, my partner and I are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

**Reality Check**

Haley stood by the fountain as she did most days, contemplating why in the world she stayed in this unbearably small town with no shopping malls, a non-existent social scene, and only one cute guy for miles around. Emily could just watch their parents' house. They did not both need to live there. But, on the other hand, staying at her parents' place rent-free meant more money for cute outfits and beauty products. The blonde sighed. It was a tough decision. What point was there in being so good-looking if there were not enough people around to appreciate her?

It was then Haley noticed someone coming up the stairs and up the hill toward her. She hoped Alex changed his mind about weight training today and came to join her. The blonde wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Oh, it's that dirty farmer," she said to herself in disappointment. Haley did not remember the girl's name, but she did not care. The farmer had called her "Bailey" the last time they met.

Besides that, the blonde could not understand how anyone would ever want to leave the city and come to this tiny town to farm. From what Haley had heard, the newest member of town was not from the nearby ZuZu City, but from NuNu City. What kind of crazy person would leave one of the fashion capitals of the world to move to the middle of nowhere and grow _plants_? Working in the mud with all those bugs and worms – not to mention the horrors of manual labor. No, definitely not. Haley was made for the finer things in life and she would not be caught dead associating with some sloppy farm girl, no matter where she was from.

She did notice, however, that the newcomer was acting strangely. There was an awkward swaying to her gait and a bagginess to her eyes. Haley covered her mouth, "Oh my gosh, she's completely wasted." The blonde could not help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Haley's blue eyes watched the new farmer as she stumbled and swayed toward the old Community Center. Everyone once and awhile, she would bend over and grab the air as if she was trying to catch something.

"Wait till the rest of the town hears about this," Haley said. She could hardly wait to be the source of the latest bit of gossip in Pelican Town. The last few years had been so hum-drum and boring. Just the same old bets on when Mayor Lewis and Marnie would finally make their relationship public or when Marnie would finally get sick of his lack of commitment and break up. That gloomy guy who wore black all the time liked the weird girl who hung out at the graveyard. Penny and the skater guy were seen climbing trees a few times. Blah, blah, blah. Haley grabbed her phone to snap a quick photo to text Alex and Emily "The new girl is a freak," she added as a caption, then hit the send button.

* * *

The old wooden bench near the Community Center was a great place to catch up on her field notes while still enjoying the outdoors. Maru's pencil rapidly scratched the pages of the notebook in her lap, keeping record of all her latest test results and discoveries. Her drone had collected some excellent footage of the valley and there was so much raw data to catalogue for the species, location, and quantities of each specimen. Maru learned quite a bit from the data collected this morning. The young scientist discovered there was a large quantity of spring onions in the southernmost section of the Cindersap Forest. There were more rabbits near the mountain than in the forest, but the opposite was true for the local squirrels. Finally, farmer Violet had gone to see the mysterious man who lived in the tower west of town this morning, but there was no evidence of her leaving the place.

Out of curiosity – little was known about the man after all – Maru decided to keep the drone close-by to monitor the situation. After several hours, the newcomer still had not emerged. Re-watching a time-elapse of the footage the drone captured, the occupant of the tower arrived home. He clearly must have left before the drone arrived in the area, but if that were true, it was odd that the door opened for Violet when she knocked if the resident was not home. Maru wondered if she should worry or alert someone. It had been hours and still no sign of Violet leaving. Maru had tried piloting the camera closer to the building, but for some reason she could never get it closer than twenty feet away without her footage becoming blurry and unusable. It was as if something was blocking her…

Was this any of her business? It could all be completely harmless and bringing this to the attention of her parents to request their assistance would also bring into question how she knew about Violet entering the tower. Maru sighed, _This is why I do not want to use my skills for government surveillance. Too many ethical dilemmas._ When mixing chemical compounds or taking soil or water samples, she did not have to worry about things like this. Maru considered her long-term project of a helper-robot for her parents. Perhaps she should give it more autonomy so she would not have to concern herself with these kinds of problems. She jotted down a few notes to remind herself to consider it during the programming.

Maru was yanked from her thoughts abruptly when she heard shouting behind her. It sounded an awful lot like the new farmer. The researcher shook her head in disbelief. That couldn't be right, the drone had not recorded Violet leaving the tower. While Maru supposed there was a possibility of another exit, her mind went wild with other hypotheses born from the information she had heard from other villagers throughout the years. No one in town knew much about him. Even the older residents could not remember a time "M. Rasmodius" had not been close-by, but he had never fully integrated as part of the community. Was the mysterious tower-dweller another scientist? Had he somehow replaced farmer Violet with an android body-double? Or maybe he was an alien from outer space. Did Rasmodius have the ability to body-snatch?

Standing abruptly, Maru gathered her papers as quickly as possible and followed the sound of Violet's voice. While she was mainly concerned about Violet's safety, part of her had to know if there were other life forms with whom she could make contact. It was her dream to go to explore space someday, but if she could get a head-start with a local extra-terrestrial, all the better! Maru rounded the corner toward the front of the old, abandoned building and witnessed Violet enter through the front door. Cautiously, the overall-clad woman crept up to the door and pushed it open as slowly as she could to ensure it did not make a sound that would attract attention.

Upon entering the main room, Maru could hear the newcomer's voice down the hall to her left. "… sweet! I can read your little language now, guys!" Violet – or the being that had Violet's appearance – exclaimed. The scientist tip-toed down the hall to find the farmer. She was huddled over a golden tile in the center of what used to be the crafts room. Maru continued to watch Violet, who acted like she was speaking to some unseen third party. "So you all want me to collect forage-able plants?" She waved it off, "I can totally do that, no problem!" Violet assured the air, though clearly her dilated eyes were focused on a particular point approximately a foot above the ground. Maru took a small notebook and pencil out from the front pocket of her overalls and made a few quick observations and calculations regarding Violet's condition.

Violet stood unsteadily and hunched over with her hand outstretched as if she were being led by an invisible child. She was headed toward the doorway, so Maru ducked around the corner back into the main room. The farmer did not follow, however. Cautiously, the young scientist crept down the hall and, hearing Violet speak again, poked her head in the corresponding room.

This time, Violet sat cross-legged on the floor in front of another golden tile. Her lips were scrunched to one side of her face, as if she were thinking hard about something. "Okay, so… you all want the good stuff when it comes to parsnips, melons, pumpkin, and corn," she said to herself. "And crops from each season, some animal products, and some fancy food for some kind of... _gala_." Violet giggled to herself uncontrollably and looped her arms in front of her as if she were holding something round in her lap. "Get it? It's a party and a type of apple."

Though Maru was not entirely sure what was going on, Violet was certainly not acting normal. Even from meeting the young woman just once, the behavior would have been strange for anyone. Her physical reactions were similar to that of someone under the influence of a drug. While Maru had seen a few examples of Sam and her brother acting particularly silly after smoking some of what her mother called "odd smelling cigarettes," it did not lead to hallucinations. Still if Violet was not hurting anyone, it was not her place to judge.

So not to startle the farmer, Maru decided to wait outside until Violet came back out on her own terms. Surprisingly, she did not have to wait long. About ten minutes later, Violet emerged from the aged building. While her eyes were still a bit dilated, the pale woman was not acting so goofy and talking to the air anymore. Now might be a good time to make her presence known, Maru decided.

"Hey, Violet," she said in a calm voice. "What are you doing in the old Community Center?" Violet gave her a goofy grin. "Hi, Maru!" the farmer said in greeting, "I'm just checking the place out. Mayor Lewis asked me to investigate a rat problem yesterday and I came back to check for clues."

Maru wondered if what Violet said about Mayor Lewis was true. Either way, if Violet did not want to reveal the whole truth, there must be a reason. "So how is your day going?" the researcher asked, trying to make some small talk.

"I'm having a weird day," Violet admitted, "but something I was having trouble with finally clicked after trying something new." Part of Maru was dying to know what happened, but there were so many things she knew without a palatable explanation to anyone in town, so she kept quiet. The farmer, trying to be friendly, followed up with a reciprocal question, "How has your day been?"

The brunette shrugged, "Productively enough for a Saturday. I had some cataloging to do from the data my drone collected." Maru was careful not to specify what data. There was some perfectly reasonable information she was gathering on the plants and animals in the valley, but there was other data for what she would call a "personal project." Perhaps being vague would encourage Violet enough to ask questions of her own.

"Oh, sweet, you have a drone?" Violet inquired excitedly. "Where did you get it? I heard those things can get expensive." Not quite the kind of question Maru was hoping, but there was still plenty of time.

Maru fiddled with the clasp of her overalls, "I actually made the drone myself."

The farmer gaped at Maru, mouth hanging open. "You… what?" Suddenly, it was as if the information finally processed in Violet's brain, her face contorted in a way that Maru had not thought possible. "That is _so_ cool! Where did you learn how to do that?" Maru told her most of it was self-taught, honestly. While her dad was a scientist, he was not into robotics and machinery like she was.

"Can I see it?" Violet asked hopefully. "Can I _fly_ it?" She tried her best to give a puppy-dog look. Maru had never had a pet, so the eyes had no effect on her, but Violet persisted. "Please!"

Maru had a feeling that Violet may not be satisfied with just seeing the drone, but she did not trust anyone - including herself - to pilot it just yet. It was on auto-pilot for a reason. Maru was, however, pleasantly surprised that the newcomer was interested in her gadgets. It would make getting to know Violet much easier. "Sure, I can show you the drone," Maru motioned for Violet to follow her back to her house. "You might be able to help me out, actually. I keep catching glimpses of an animal I don't recognize."

Violet began walking up the mountain with the brunette. "Did your drone find Big Foot?" Violet asked jokingly. "I mean, if a person can't snag a picture, maybe a robot can catch the sneaky bastard." Maru could tell the newcomer was trying her best to be friendly to make her laugh. She could appreciate that.

Maru smiled, "No, nothing like that. I'll show you the pictures." Walking alongside Violet, Maru unintentionally got a whiff of the mystery substance she must have ingested to make her act so strangely earlier. Violet's scent was a strong blend of many familiar plants, but she could not pin down the combination. It was almost as if she had dunked herself in a giant pot of everything-herbal tea.

Pine was definitely the main odor, but she was not aware of any ways to get someone high off of pine tar, needles, or any other part of the tree. Maru's hopeful hypotheses of alien encounters and android replacements seemed less and less likely. Perhaps more of an experiment with holistic ingredients from the valley and their effects on the mind? Plants like _lophophora williamsii_ could be used for their psychoactive properties when ingested, so perhaps something native to the area might have a similar effect? Violet was definitely seeing things earlier that Maru could not. Even she had to wonder what Rasmodius had done to Violet. Or was she jumping to conclusions altogether? Maybe Violet accidentally ate something she should not have while foraging.

A question halted Maru's train of thought: "So how long have you lived in Pelican Town?" Violet asked her. The farmer was curious how long everyone had lived in the valley.

Maru generally knew that she had been quite young when her family moved to the valley. "I don't remember much before living here," Maru mused. "There was a small apartment we had in the city for a few years, but this town is the only place I have called 'home.'" She turned her head toward Violet, "Where did you grow up?"

Her companion twiddled her hair between her fingers as they walked. Maru knew this as a sign of nervousness, but despite that, Violet answered her question. "Generally? NuNu City. But we moved around a lot until I was around ten or so." Violet's lips twisted into a frown, "Once my parents got divorced I still moved between their places for a while, but neither of them really felt like 'home,' you know? Everything always felt so temporary."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Maru replied, shaking her head. She had not meant to ask Violet about her family life, but Maru supposed that was bound to come up when talking about where you grew up. "I can't imagine how I would feel if my parents split up. I love my family, even if we all don't get along all the time."

Violet must have heard something from Sebastian, because she followed up with a direct question. "Do you mean you and your brother?"

Maru absent-mindedly fiddled with the pencil in her breast pocket, but realized immediately and stopped the behavior. "I suppose so. Sebastian does not seem to like me or my dad much. I just wish I knew why. I want us to be closer as a whole family. He's my brother, after all."

After a moment of hesitation, the farmer spoke. "So I get that your dad isn't Sebastian's dad. But it seems like he feels - " she paused again, searching for the right word. "I dunno... left out of the family?" The farmer sighed exasperatedly, and shook her head. "Maybe I'm wrong or jumping to conclusions, that's just the general impression I got from one conversation."

Maru stuffed her hands in her pockets and her brown eyes focused on her house just ahead of them. "Sebastian has been my brother my whole life, but for him there was a life before my dad and I. It was just him and mom for a while after his dad left," she stated. "I don't know the whole story about my mom's first husband and why they divorced. Mom never talks about him, and maybe that's part of the problem…"

Violet's cobalt eyes darted over to her walking buddy, "Maybe he's a little jealous?" she suggested with a shrug.

Sebastian's younger sister looked at her new friend. "Jealous? Of what?" What did she have that her brother did not for him to envy?

The two were caught off-guard when Robin opened the door and welcomed them inside. "Oh, hello, girls," the carpenter greeted them sweetly. "Come on in, I'm just closing up the shop for the day."

Violet had not realized how much time had passed since she left her house to visit Rasmodius this morning. Maru glanced at her mom hopefully, and Robin seemed to know what her daughter was thinking. "You're welcome to stick around," the red-head informed the farmer. "We don't typically have dinner plans on Saturdays, since Sebby goes to hang out with Sam."

"...Sebby?" Violet grimaced, but Maru could tell it was because she was trying to repress laughter and not from discomfort. After a moment, the newcomer regained her composure and simply said, "If you don't mind having me, I'd love to stick around!"

Robin seemed pleased with that answer. "Feel free to raid the fridge, you two. Demetrius and I are going to be out on the ridge for a while." She gave Violet a friendly wave, "Enjoy your chat!"

Maru had a feeling her mother was up to something, but then again, she had learned from the best. Either way, both women in the family had the best intentions. Maru led Violet to the kitchen so they could raid the fridge. To make things less awkward for Violet, Maru took out all the food they were allowed to eat out of the fridge so there would be no guessing for the newbie. From the pile, Violet picked out a few things and began to munch on some assorted veggies.

The brunette tried to pick up their conversation where they left off, "So you think Sebastian might be jealous of me for some reason?"

Violet shrugged, "As someone whose parents have divorced and from what your brother has said, I think it makes some sense." The wavy-haired young woman leaned back in her chair. "I know I was jealous of my brother when my parents split. Zach was six years older and able to leave basically whenever he wanted. I was still just a kid and I got stuck in the middle." Maru could tell there was some bitterness in the latter statement.

"Anyway," Violet continued, "You mentioned that this is the only family you've ever known and that your mom doesn't even mention Sebastian's dad. Whether or not Sebastian remembers his dad is one thing, but the fact that his dad isn't around anymore and from what it sounds like - hasn't been in contact with him since the divorce, that's a big deal."

The younger woman looked at Violet quizzically. "What do you mean?"

Violet looked blankly at the wall as she twisted strands of hair around her fingers. "It's like… knowing that a parent wants nothing to do with you, even though they are half the reason you exist in the first place. It might make you feel - rejected, lonely, hopeless. Whatever." The farmer finally looked at Maru square-on. "Meanwhile, his mom remarries and has another kid. And that kid's dad sticks around and takes away the hope that maybe someday, his dad might come back into his life."

Violet sighed, "I could be completely off-base here, but maybe he's just jealous that your parents are still in a loving relationship and both clearly want you around. Meanwhile he got replaced or pushed aside along with his dad. He's… expendable."

Maru exploded from her chair. "But that's not true!" she protested desperately. "He's my brother and the whole family loves him just as much as they love me."

The flower-toned hair on the farmer's head shifted forward as she leaned in toward Maru, resting her elbows on the table and urging the other woman to sit down. "It doesn't matter whether or not it's true," Violet insisted. "What matters is that's how he feels - assuming I'm correct. A person's perception of the world is their reality."

Maru reflected on Violet's last statement as she sat back down. It seemed like such a simple idea, but Maru had not considered it before. It made a lot of sense. "So… what do I do to make my brother feel like part of the family?"

Violet laughed nervously, "Beats me," she confessed. "My guess is just listen to what he has to say and try to address the underlying problem. Or, hell, just ask him what makes him feel like he's not part of the family."

The bespectacled woman nodded, "I admit that I still don't understand why Sebastian feels the way he does, but I'm going to do my best to help my brother," Maru declared earnestly.

The farmer smiled, "That's sweet of you." There was a moment of silence in which Violet seemed to lose herself in her thoughts, until she finally said, "I hope it's not too late for you all to get close." Maru noticed a hint of sadness in Violet's statement, but realized Violet was being genuine. The young scientist felt a bit better about her scheming regarding the newcomer and her brother. Maybe they could all get close one day?

Maru stood up from her chair, 'C'mon, Violet. I promised you could see my drone and I intend on keeping that commitment."

Violet's dark blue eyes lit up and a small whoop of excitement escaped her lips. She got up from her chair and followed Maru down the hall. "So… does this mean I get to fly it?"

* * *

Sebastian headed down the mountain into town to hang out with his best friend like he did every Saturday. Unlike previous Saturdays, however, there were things other than sci-fi books, comics, music, or programming on his mind. The dark-haired young man could not get the sound of that woman's laugh out of his head. It was like an ear worm digging into his skull, but rather than being painful it strangely made him feel better. Violet actually laughed with him a lot last night. And despite her ruining an entire fandom for him last night, Sebastian could not help but tug his lips back in a slight smile at the thought that someone was just as passionate about the kinds of things he enjoyed. The newcomer certainly had different takes on them, but it was refreshing to finally get someone to talk to about comics. His mom always called his interests "childish," even if the content was anything but that. Demetrius and Maru were on their own planet most of the time, and even if Sam and Abigail did read a few volumes to humor him, neither of them seemed too interested to continue on their own.

And yet, Sebastian's feelings for Abigail also remained. She was the girl he had been in love with for years, but he never had the courage to say anything. The resident nerd was so afraid his feelings would be rejected and he would lose Abigail as a friend as a result. Some beautiful girl moving into town less than a week ago could not possibly make his shake these deep-rooted feelings. Then Maru had to complicate things by saying she thought Violet might like him back. Where the hell was she getting that?

Thinking back to the previous night, Sebastian wonder if any of her actions might indicate interest. Violet had climbed onto the pool table and leaned over to reach a ball. When she had done so, Sebastian glimpsed a bit of cleavage from the neckline of her shirt. Had she done that on purpose? There were tools to use if you could not reach the ball after all. Maybe she was just used to doing things like that because she was so short. Abigail was definitely taller than Violet, not by a lot, but enough to notice. Sebastian was about the same height as Abigail and that never bothered him, but he had to admit it was nice to be taller than a girl for once.

Then there was the way Violet teased him last night. Was it just a sign that she was getting more comfortable with her new neighbors and attempting to make others laugh, or was she trying to flirt with him? Sebastian knew he should not assume, but he found that part of himself was hoping that maybe... she might have been.

The coder recalled the way Violet's face changed after Sam and Abigail had left. The farmer seemed to be thinking about friend she did not see anymore. Violet let herself be vulnerable around him for just a moment, even if she did not realize it. It could be that Violet genuinely forgot she was not alone, but since she let him walk her home and had the audacity to tease him, maybe she was being real with him. Sebastian wanted that so badly. Someone he did not have to hide his thoughts or feelings around. Violet had listened to him complain about his family and while she had made some infuriating comments, she had been able to admit she was in the wrong when it mattered.

Sebastian sighed. "I should focus on being her friend first," he decided. No matter what he felt - assuming the affection lasted and would continue to grow - it was far too early to consider a relationship for either party. He was not going to be the kind of guy who asked the new girl in town out the first week she moved in.

As Sam's house came into view, Sebastian was grateful he would have a space to just forget about this for the day and focus on literally anything else. Little did he know, Same was not about to let him off the hook.

* * *

Sam greeted his best friend just outside Haley and Emily's house like he did every Saturday morning. As they rounded the bend, Sam nudged Sebastian. "So how you feeling about our devastating loss last night?" referring to the pool game they lost due to Sebastian's missed shot.

Sebastian scoffed at him, "As I explained last night, I _let_ them win!" the older of the two insisted."We would hate for the girls to get discouraged and quit after one match, right?"

The spiky-haired blond nodded unconvincingly. "Sure thing, bud," Sam agreed almost condescendingly. He did not believe that in the slightest, but he was not about to call out his best friend directly. He had other plans for the day and he needed to save Sebastian's good humor for other questions today. "So..." he began. "What do you think of the new girl?"

Sam noticed that Sebastian's dark eyes avoided his and he shrugged, "She seems cool." The blond was surprised that Sebastian even admitted as much. This was a great start!

The skater thought he might try to get more out of his friend. "But not as cool as Abigail?" he added, hoping Sebastian would take the bait and elaborate on what he thought of farmer Violet.

Luckily, his dreary friend did gave him more detail. "I'd say they're cool in different ways..." Sebastian opined before opening the front door to Sam's house and motioned for Sam to enter first. The boys went to Sam's room to continue to chat, with only a brief pause to greet Jodi and Vincent before shutting the bedroom door behind them.

"Different how, fam?" Sam inquired. It was always like pulling teeth trying to get Sebastian to talk about his emotions. The closest Sam ever got was when they were playing table-top games and that was always through an elaborate and round-about slog through minor NPC dialogue and layers upon layers of subtle clues. It was infuriating sometimes, but Sam knew what he signed up for when he and Sebastian the emotional clam became friends.

The older of the two young men pondered for a moment. "Violet definitely seems to be more interested in comics than Abigail, while Abigail is more into video games," he replied, much to Sam's disappointment. But Sebastian surprised him by adding, "She completely obliterated _Cave Saga X_ for me by pointing out some major plot holes." Sam knew this was devastating news, since that comic was Sebastian's favorite. "I was kinda mad at first, but... I think I was just excited someone else got passionate about something I like, too."

"Woah, now. You, excited?" Sam countered teasingly, cracking open a can of Joja cola and taking a slurp. He offered Sebastian a drink, but he declined, as always. After a satisfied gulp, the blond took another playful jab at his friend. "So I guess you're going to have to find a new comic to fill the void in that vampire body of yours, huh?"

Sebastian rolled his dark eyes, "Haha, Sam."

The blatant sarcasm did not phase the skater, but it did not seem like Sebastian was willing to add much more detail to the conversation. Sam snatched up his guitar and quietly strummed a few chords while lying on his bed and his feet up on the wall. The guitarist glanced at his best friend. "Hey, Sebastian. Are you still interested in starting a band with me?"

Sebastian, lounging on the floor, shrugged, "It would definitely be something new to do." He smirked at Sam, "Maybe it'll 'fill the void' that _Cave Saga X_ left behind."

Sam chuckled, "Nah, music is my passion. You gotta find your own." He strummed a minor chord for emphasis. "Though maybe the moody keyboard player will find a cute groupie when we go on tour."

Said keyboard player scoffed at the idea. "Sure, buddy. I'll get right on that." A tune rang out gently from Sam's guitar, distracting Sebastian for a moment. It sounded familiar, but he was not sure where he had heard it. "What's that?" Sebastian asked him.

The blond shrugged, "Eh, just something I've been working on," he said dismissively. Sam had composed it to complement the song Abigail would play on her flute on rainy days, but he was not about to confess that to his best friend. Just to be on the safe side, Sam switched up when he was playing for a while. His brown eyes shot a quick look over to Sebastian, "So you still into Abigail?" he asked casually. It was a daring question, but Sam figured with the way Abigail behaved, she was not into Sebastian that way. Still, he needed to know where his friend stood on the matter.

Sebastian straightened up immediately as his cheeks flushed. "Did Maru say something?!" he demanded to know.

Sam paused his playing and rotated his body to sit up straight on his bed, facing Sebastian. "Wait, you think your sister told on you?" He was visibly suppressing a laugh. "Dude, half the town knows the ways you've made eyes at her the last few years." Sam thought that Abigail's eagerness to try and foist Sebastian off on the new girl made it pretty clear that she did not return Sebastian's feelings, but he did not want to break his best friend's heart. But he could not stop there. "...Just like half of The Stardrop Saloon also saw you staring at the new girl last night."

The cords on Sebastian's hoodie were immediately pulled to hide his face. Sam thought it was like a turtle hiding in its shell. It was kind of cute. The skater could tell the embarrassment was real, too. Normally he would have corrected Sam by calling Maru his half-sister. "Aw, buddy, you may as well have been using a megaphone to get her attention," Sam said sympathetically. "You clearly forgot how news circulates in tiny towns like this." The blond tried to reach over and give Sebastian a pat on the shoulder, but his best friend's hand was swatted away immediately.

"What the fuck do I do now?" Sebastian sighed in frustration, his face, still concealed by his hoodie, now resting on his knees. "This is so fucking embarrassing. I hate you."

"Love ya, too, bud," Sam shot back, taking another swig of his Joja cola, and patting Sebastian on the back. After hearing a growl emit from the grumpy black blob next to him, Sam shrugged, "Seb, no one actually cares. It'll blow over in a few days. A few weeks, tops," Sam assured his best friend. Needing to do something with his hands, he fired up his Game Boy to play some classic Mario. His eyes not leaving the screen as the little figure jumped to the next platform, he said, "But I have it on good authority that women don't like waffling back and forth. So, I suggest if you finally do make a move, you only do so for one lucky lady." Realizing that Sebastian - like the turtle his Mario had just jumped on - was not about to emerge from his shell anytime soon, Sam pulled out his phone and opened a text to Abigail.

*** Operation: Crab Cake underway! :3 ***

* * *

Maru and Violet had migrated to Maru's bedroom so she could show the farmer her drone and the photos of her mystery creatures. Just a quick look around told Violet that Maru was a big fan of outer space. The stars on the wallpaper, the poster of Earth from space, and the gadgets on the floor that looked like they came straight out of a sci-fi movie... The farmer wondered if Maru legitimately believed in aliens. Resting atop of her desk, Maru pulled aside a cloth which covered the drone. It was smaller than Violet had expected, but it looked complicated. "Sweet. How fast can it go?"

The younger woman thought for a moment, "I only programmed it to reach speeds of up to ten kilometers an hour, I didn't want it running into things."

"Either way, that's awesome. And you said it takes pictures?"

Maru grabbed a small pile of photographs she had developed. "I've been documenting to local plants and animals to create a biodiversity profile for the area," she explained. Leafing through them quickly, Maru handed the relevant pictures to her new friend, "I have no idea what these are," she told Violet. "I keep getting shots of them here and there, but never in their entirety."

Violet's cobalt eyes widened as she took in the images. They were definitely all of Junimos, just before they phased out of sight. A right arm there, a face here - oh, one of them even had a little leaf on their apple stem! As the most recent person to become "one with the forest," Violet was unsure of what to do. Should she lie or tell the truth? Or maybe... some version of the truth?

The pale woman could tell from the way Maru's eyes studied her face that she was expecting a particular answer. Maybe her drone had accidentally caught her doing something odd? So lying completely was out of the question. "So what do you think?" the scientist asked.

Violet had always been a terrible liar, but where to draw the line at what was believable and what was not? She sighed and slumped down on the stool next to the computer. Maru did the same on her bed, as if trying to mirror Violet's behavior and make her more comfortable. "This is going to sound crazy..." Violet began, "Like more ridiculous than Copernicus when he introduced heliocentrism." The farmer hoped that Maru would appreciate her general knowledge reference and realize that maybe Violet was actually grounded and not completely off her rocker.

Maru smiled, "I'm listening." The farmer relaxed a bit, breathing out some of her nervousness. "So when I went exploring in town yesterday, Mayor Lewis showed me the inside of the old Community Center," she began. "And something that looked like this," she gestured to the photos in her hand, "like an over-sized plush apple - just appeared out of nowhere a few times. But Lewis never saw it, so he got freaked out by how I jumped when it popped in and out of sight." The woman went on, noticing that Maru was scribbling notes on a pad she retrieved from her front pocket. "I thought it was weird, but I figured I would check it out another time. Until... this morning." Violet's dark blue eyes stole a look at Maru, trying to judge if she should continue. The farmer sighed. Maru's face was blank, but friendly. The newcomer bit her bottom lip, contemplating how to say what she meant.

"I got a postcard from a local, asking me to come by to chat. He claimed he had answers about the things I saw," Violet stated. Without prompting, Violet fished something out of the back pocket of her jeans. Maru examined what appeared to be a blank piece of white card stock and, stuck to it, a water-damaged reminder card for sometime this summer. From the look of it, Maru guessed Dr. Harvey made an appointment with Violet, but it was not really her business unless the doctor asked for her assistance. Either way, she could not see what Violet thought was on the post card.

Meanwhile, Violet continued her story, "How he knew I saw them, I was not entirely sure, but I figured the Mayor could have said something that gave this stranger a decent chance at an educated guess. So this guy - Rasmodius, he called himself - the one that lives in that tower in the woods south of my farm. He dressed strangely and had a weird circle drawn on the floor. And in the center of them, a little Junimo appeared."

"Junimo?" Maru said questioningly, her pencil lifted up from the page. "Is that what the 'over-sized plush apples' are called?" quoting her notes from Violet's statement thus far.

Nodding, Violet apologized, "Yeah, sorry. That's what Rasmodius said they called themselves. I told him about the writing in the Community Center."

"The writing?" the scientist interjected again. Violet took a moment to slow down, realizing that she was leaving out important details. "Yes, when I first went to the Community Center yesterday, after Mayor Lewis left, I stuck around to investigate a bit. There was this golden scroll on the ground of one of the rooms with writing I could not understand. I thought it was too much for kids like Jas and Vincent to make up, which is what the Mayor thought of the little hut in the main room was. Just kids playing in an abandoned building." Violet thought that covered the details Maru needed before she progressed, and since no one stopped her, Violet continued. "When I told Rasmodius about the scroll, he literally disappeared before my eyes and reappeared behind me less than a minute later. He claimed the writing on the scroll claimed you had to be 'one with the forest' to read the language - which looking back is so not true because he was able to read it." Violet got visibly annoyed with that particular detail, in hindsight. "So that pretentious wizard bastard thought to test if his nasty brew would do the trick."

Maru furrowed her eyebrows, "And you agreed to drink some unknown concoction given to you by a stranger?" She realized too late that a judgmental tone escaped her lips. The scientist had to admit she did not have much life experience when it came to staying safe in those kinds of situations, but that was common sense, right?

The farmer noticeably squirmed in the stool at Maru's accusing words. She reflected for a moment before saying: "Even before moving here, I've encountered some weird things I couldn't explain in this town…" Violet responded vaguely, looking out the window. Bex always told her the stories she shared were just the overactive imagination of a bored kid visiting her grandparents out in the middle of nowhere, but the young woman knew what she saw. "I was definitely skeptical of this whole thing with Rasmodius," Violet admitted, "but it didn't matter... The potential rewards were too tempting." The farmer sighed. Violet turned her head to look at Maru and posed a question, "Have you ever wanted to believe something so badly, you did something incredibly stupid and potentially dangerous to find out the truth?"

Maru could think of dozens of small experiments in chemistry, robotics, cooking - all of which could have ended catastrophically and in varying degrees of danger. She had created some small explosions, nearly severed extremities, and almost ingested deadly _amanita bisporigera_ , but never had she been seriously injured. Maru gave Violet a small pat on the back. "It's okay. I've done some stupid things to satisfy my own curiosity. I've just always had my parents and brother there to catch things before they got too dangerous or out-of-hand," she explained the farmer. While she was still curious what Violet meant about things she "couldn't explain," Maru realized now was not a good time to pry if she wanted to stay on-topic of these Junimos.

"So what are the Junimos?" Maru inquired the farmer.

Violet answered as best she could, "According to Rasmodius, they are the spirits that protect the forest in the valley. So I guess they aren't really animals - or apples," she added with a small chuckle. Maru nodded but did not say anything. "It might be better for you to ask Rasmodius all of this directly. He probably has more answers than I do."

Maru tucked her pencil behind her ear and sat up straight, placing her notebook back into the front pocket of her overalls. "Believe it or not, I've tried talking to him but he won't let me into his tower to speak with him," the brunette informed Violet. "Which is how your knowledge becomes invaluable to my research."

"Huh." Violet was not sure why Rasmodius treated her differently. _Is he... racist?_ the farmer wondered. Why would Rasmodius choose a stranger over someone who had lived in the valley almost her entire life? Was it because Maru was a scientist and Violet was a farmer? Or maybe he just thought Maru would be able to see through his tricks whereas others might not notice the dead giveaways. "So... does any of that help?" Violet asked the bespectacled woman across the room.

The brunette gave her a friendly smile, "Yes, it does! Thank you." She handed Violet back the blank postcard and it's water-damaged tag-along along with a fresh sheet of paper. "I would be grateful if you would do your best to draw what's on the postcard. I can't actually see it."

Violet blinked in surprise. "Seriously?" Maru nodded in confirmation and Violet did her best to trace the designs and writing on the invitation she received from Rasmodius. When she was finished, Violet handed the sketch to Maru. The young woman examined it for a moment, "I see what you mean about the postcard, then. There is a little Junimo in the bottom corner," then tucked it in along with the pictures from her drone.

"So... you believe me?" Violet asked hopefully.

"I like to think I give everything a chance to be disproved rather than dismiss the unusual possibilities right away," Maru responded. Violet was not sure what to make of that, but decided it was better to think that Maru was on her side. Scanning the room for something to discuss, Violet settled on what appeared to be a robot of some sort on the floor.

"What are you building?" Violet wondered aloud, pointing to the domed metallic cylinder in the center of the room.

Maru was pleased that the farmer realized it was her own creation and not her father's or store-bought. "Just a gadget I'm working on," Maru said dismissively. "I've decided I'm going to build a robot someday, so this is a little practice."

Violet's eyebrows rose, "Wow, I could never do that. There are so many little parts and mechanisms that all need to work together," she said. "Kudos to you, that's gotta be challenging."

The gadget-maker grinned ear-to-ear, "You're right, but a love a challenge! I'll be sure to show you what it does when I finally get it working," she promised her companion. "I'll probably need an extra pair of hands at some point, if you're available. But I'm sure farming keeps you busy."

Violet was excited that someone else in town wanted to make future plans with her. She was starting to make some friends in town, despite how awkward it all felt at times. The newcomers smiled, "Of course, just let me know when you need help. Once the plants are all planted, watered, or harvested, the important stuff is done for the day. The rest of what I get done is just a bonus!"

"Have you ever explored the mines just north of the house here?"

"Mines?" Violet repeated, hoping to get more detail.

Maru bobbed her head, "Yeah, Pelican Town used to be a mining town. There are even mine carts, but they aren't functional right now," she informed the farmer. "You can find them all over the place." Maru realized she was getting off-topic, though. "I go into the mines to get materials for my inventions every once and a while. You can find rare gems and minerals the further in you go."

The deep blue of Violet's eyes practically dazzled. "I have always wanted to go exploring, but I get claustrophobic. You don't have to go wiggling like a worm through tight spaces at any point, do you?" Maru could tell that Violet was both ecstatic and terrified. At least she could provide some relief.

"No, nothing like that," Maru assured her. "If there ever were such narrow tunnels, they were widened by the old miners decades ago."

 _Maybe I'll check it out tomorrow, then._ Violet mused. She had to tend to the crops in the morning, but she had nothing planned otherwise. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll definitely check them out soon." Violet knew she should probably get going soon, but she wanted to get to know Maru a bit better. The tactic of focusing on an object in the room seemed to work well earlier, so Violet tried again. Draped on Maru's headboard was a white dress. "That looks like a wedding dress. Is someone getting married?"

Violet did not expect Maru's chortling."Oh, goodness. No, not me," Maru insisted. "I think my dad would try to kill anyone I even tried to date right now. He's overly protective of my 'bright future." The young woman picked up the dress of her headboard and showed it to Violet. "This is for the Flower Dance later this month. I wanted to make sure it still fit right."

Wearing white always made Violet think of cults, but she recognized that was not an entirely reasonable response. "I assume this event involves dancing," Violet chimed in.

"Oh yeah, it's a really old festival. All the unmarried young men and women partner up and dance," Maru explained. "I think it probably goes back to old fertility rituals, as I'm sure my dad would love to tell everyone about at the festival."

"So there's a tradition in town for a bunch of young people to dance in fancy outfits and hopefully someone gets pregnant?" Violet offered jokingly.

Maru smirked at the farmer's sense of humor, "My guess is this is the way the elders in town tried matchmaking back in the day, but who knows for sure?" she replied. "I haven't been able to find anything about it in the library, but there are some odd and interesting books about the supposed history of the valley there." The farmer noticed Maru use the word "supposed" in that sentence and probed as to why. Maru chuckled, "I think you'll understand if you read it."

 _Another thing to check out,_ Violet thought. Maru tried to return back to the subject of festivals, however. "Do you have anyone you would want to dance with at the festival?" She appended her question, "Just to dance, not for anything serious."

"Do you have someone you typically dance with?" Violet countered. She did not want to steal someone's partner after all. That could cause some bad blood between her and her new neighbors.

"I typically dance with Harvey," Maru said, "but we're not in a relationship or even remotely near romantic. We're good friends and colleagues."

Okay, she had not even considered the doctor, so she was likely safe. "Well, there's your brother, Sam, and Elliott. Those are the guys I've spoken to the most so far. I wouldn't mind dancing with any of them."

Violet could tell gears were turning in Maru's head, but she was not entirely sure why. Was this woman up to something?

"I think you might have a potential dance partner this year, then," Maru informed Violet. Before Violet could question her, Maru followed up for a request. "This is going to sound unusual, but may I borrow your shirt?" Violet's mouth slowly fell open, as her brain processed the sentence she _thought_ she just heard.

Maru immediately realized the problem, "Oh, sorry, it's because your shirt might have traces elements of the stuff that Rasmodius gave you. Like pollen, for example. I want to see if I can figure out what exactly in the drink makes seeing the Junimos possible. I hypothesize that I can find some of the ingredients microscopically on your clothing and asking for your pants was completely out of the question." The eager researcher plead with Violet, "It would bring me closer to finding answers in my research. I'll let you borrow one of my shirts, of course, and I'll return yours to you soon."

Violet had already done a lot of strange things since deciding to move the Pelican Town she reminded herself. She and Bex used to borrow each other's clothes before they hit puberty and became different sizes. What could it possibly hurt if Maru was offering to let her borrow one and they might get some answers about the Junimos that no one else but she could see? Maru was giving her the benefit of the doubt, rather than immediately shutting her down. Violet decided it was the fairest course of action. "Okay," she finally agreed. "Mind if I pick out the shirt?"

"Feel free," Maru concurred, gesticulating toward her chest of drawers. "Pick out anything you want." Violet pried the second drawer open, knowing that most people put their underwear in the top one and she did not want to make things uncomfortable by discovering more about Maru than she wanted to know. Violet dug her hand down to the shirts buried further down, since they were less frequently used than the ones on top. Better to borrow an old shirt than Maru's favorite. Her fingers brushed against a particularly soft fabric and Violet knew she had to have it. Wiggling it out so not to ruin Maru's neat piles, slowly she eased it from the depths of the drawer.

It was a dark slate color that Violet was pleasantly surprised looked great on her. In a lighter grey, there was the pattern of an old, barren tree climbing up the left side and bats fluttering around the reaches of the branches. Probably a Halloween shirt, but Violet did not mind. "I think I'll take this one, if you don't mind."

Maru, who had been taking more notes, adjusted her ruby red glasses back up the bridge of her nose so she could properly see. "Oh," she was surprised, but not upset. "Sure thing." The scientist knew that the shirt was not hers, and that it must have been put in her drawer accidentally, but she did not have the heart to tell Violet since she seemed so pleased with her selection. "I'll turn around so you can swap shirts. Be careful taking off your current one, we want to preserve any samples that might be on the fabric."

Violet obeyed and gingerly peeled the shirt off her body. She lay it on the bed and practically dove into the borrowed shirt. It was unbelievably soft, the young woman almost wanted to make the trade permanent. "Well, it's getting late," Violet said as she saw the clock on Maru's dresser. "I should get home. Do you need anything else before I head out?"

The younger woman shook her head, "No, I'm good for today." Maru got up to walk her new friend to the door. "I really appreciate you helping me out today. And I don't just mean the research questions."

The newcomer's head tilted to one side in confusion, her light purple hair falling to one side. "What do you mean?"

"I appreciate you willing to share your personal experience to help me understand where Sebastian might be coming from," Maru clarified. "I hope I can provide you with advice half as useful in the future."

Violet waved off the compliment, "Eh, it's all just guesswork." She shrugged, "The hard part is just talking to your family, trust me. You're on your own for that one." It seemed like the newbie did not envy Maru's position in the matter.

"Either way," Maru stated, "Thank you. I'll let you know what I find out with your shirt, okay?"

Yawning, Violet gave her a thumbs up and headed out the door. "Night, Maru! Enjoy the rest of your evening." The door gently closed behind her and she was alone in the darkness, with only the light from the moon and the windows of the house to illuminate the way. Violet dug her phone out of her pocket, only to realize it was dead. She would need to charge it when she got home. "Oh, well. The natural light is enough," Violet told herself.

Once she arrived home, Violet plugged in her phone to charge and immediately fell into bed. During the night, the phone finally lit up to indicate it was charged enough to function.

***5 Missed Calls***

***83 Text Messages***

Beep.

***6 Missed Calls***


	13. Hints of Magic and Misery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet experiences the consequences of her cryptic voicemail to Rebecca. Shane decides Violet cannot be allowed to succumb to alcoholism, like him. Robin confronts Maru about her scheming. The farmer explores the mines for the first time. Shane and the Violet have a brief conversation on the forest lake docks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My partner and I were symptomatic for COVID-19, so things have been slow for a while. Hopefully they will pick back up now that we're feeling better!

A loud chiming woke Violet the next morning. It was her phone, recently freed from the "do not disturb" hours rule she programmed. Groggily, the young woman reached up to the ledge of her headboard and dragged the phone down to her ear. "Hello?"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH PANIC YOU HAVE CAUSED, VI?" Violet fell from her bed onto the floor from the sudden outburst. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, the farmer tried to address her best friend.

"Bex, what are you talking about?" Violet asked, confused and still half-asleep. "What was all the fuss about? Did something happen?"

"YOU, DUMBASS!" Rebecca shouted into the receiver. "I get a cryptic message about following 'apple people' and if you didn't make it back alive, I should know that you love me?" the person on the other line paused to take a breath. "And then you don't answer your phone, so what the hell else was I supposed to think?" she demanded angrily.

The memory of yesterday's voicemail to her friend slowly trickled back into her consciousness. "Oh, fuck…" Violet groaned. "I'm so sorry, Bex. I wasn't entirely myself when I called you," Violet apologized. "I didn't check my phone until late last night and by then my phone had died without me realizing it. I just plugged it in when I got home and went straight to sleep."

"YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BE SORRY," Bex growled angrily. The farmer felt the heat from the fire in her friend's voice. "I spent half of my hard-earned weekend worrying as to whether or not some hillbilly murdered you and buried you somewhere in the mountains where no one would find you!" Violet could tell from the cracking in her voice that Rebecca had been crying. The pit of her stomach dropped and Violet felt terrible for being so inconsiderate.

"Bex, I'm okay. I'm so sorry I worried you," she extended her arm to see the screen of her phone. There were so many missed text messages and phone calls… Violet was going to have to make this up to her big time. Putting the phone back to her ear, the farmer sighed, "I can't say enough how sorry I am for worrying you, but I promise I'm okay. I just… got a little tipsy and you know how I am."

"'A little tipsy?'" Violet's best friend spat back. "So how the hell did that happen? You know your limits, chica," she interrogated Violet. While the farmer knew this was her fault, she was not used to getting the full brunt of Bex's wrath. She knew it was from a place of love, but it did not make it any easier.

Though Rebecca could not see, Violet rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. She knew this was not going to go well. "It was a drink I never had before. It was way more potent than I expected," she half-lied. While Violet was pretty sure there had not been actual alcohol in the essence of the forest concoction, it was something she never had before and it was effective in its own way. Hopefully there was enough truth in her words that her best friend would not detect it was not the entire truth.

It seemed luck was on her side and Bex was more glad that Violet was not injured or dead than she was dedicated to being angry at her stupidity. "Well, next time ask the proof or something before you go drinking anything weird," Rebecca scolded her. "I swear, without me around to keep you out of trouble, I don't know how you survive." Violet did not argue either statement, but she poked fun at her friend.

Violet chuckled, "You know me, Bex. I'm unnaturally lucky."

"It's going to run out one day, chica," Violet's confidant warned her. "And I'm likely not going to be there to catch you, so make sure you surround yourself with buena gente. ¿Lo entiendes?"

"Yes, ma'am," the farmer sighed, resting her forehead on her knee. Her friend always slipped in a bit more Spanish with the extremes of emotion, so Violet knew she had done a number on her bilingual friend with this incident. "It won't happen again, lo prometo," she vowed, sprinkling a bit of Spanish in herself to emphasize her point. The farmer added, "And I'm already starting to make friends, I think," hoping to reassure Rebecca. While still on the call, she scrolled through all the text messages. They went through a clear evolution ranging from confusion, to concern, anger, panic. It got worse as the messages went unanswered for a longer period of time. Violet would have to make this up to her somehow. Then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, Bex?"

"Yeah?" an exhausted voice answered.

"Would you want to come out for a visit in a few weeks?" Violet asked hopefully. "You could meet everyone in town so you don't have to worry about the neighbors being strangers to you," she told Rebecca. "And I heard there's a festival with dancing and I think it might be fun…"

"You know I'm always down for a baile," the woman adamantly assured her. "Let me see if I can get some time off work to come down and see tu cara bonita." The farmer could tell that Rebecca was smiling on the other end of the line, and that breathed a little fresh air into her. Things were going to be okay between them.

* * *

Shane stood in front of the microwave, waiting on his microwave breakfast burrito. He watched it turn slowly on the tray as his thoughts wandered back to the night before. Shane had gone to The Stardrop Saloon to wind down from the day, and as usual, he stood between the bar and the hearth.

Business was relatively slow for a Saturday, so he and Emily chatted for a while. That girl was weird, but Shane had to admit Emily always made time to chat with him, whether or not shifts were busy. So, like most evenings, he ended up telling her pointless stories about the chickens he cared for on Marnie's ranch. Shane never understood why she liked them so much, but she would ask questions and laugh when she thought his stories were funny.

It was during one of those normal chats that Emily's phone beeped. Shane told her it was okay to check it, but Emily waved her hand dismissively. "It can wait a bit, we are in the middle of talking." Shane was hesitant at first to just let it go, but before long he and Emily had lost themselves in an easy flow of words once again. When they finally came to a lull in their conversation, Emily asked for forgiveness and checked her phone. "It's from Haley," she informed him. "I hope everything is okay."

Her warm brown eyes scanned the screen as she read. Emily's painted lips curved downward in a rare frown. "Ugh, Haley!" she complained. "You are so rude sometimes." She shook her head furiously, her sapphire-colored hair shaking visibly. "Sorry, Shane," she apologized. A hint of red tinged her cheeks as she typed, "Give me a second, I need to address my sister's insensitivity."

Normally, Shane stayed out of other people's business. That way they did not feel like they had any right to intrude in his personal affairs. However, he rarely saw Emily this riled up. "Is… everything okay?" he asked, taking a swig of his beer. Emily never got legitimately angry as far as he could tell, but her reaction was starting to convince him otherwise.

The woman's head shook disapprovingly, "Haley thinks she can just judge people without even knowing them. I'm sure this is completely out of context and Haley is purposefully trying to cause trouble for Violet. Ugh!"

Even if he did not understand what she meant by her words, Shane got the gist. "So what sensational photo did Haley take now?" the man chuckled. This was not the first time Haley had snapped an "interesting" photo. As far as everyone else knew, the blonde was the first to accidentally discover the Mayor and his aunt Marnie meeting for a secret rendezvous. The two were caught in one of her panoramic scenes near the Cindersap Forest. Although all the younger residents of Pelican Town knew of their relationship, for some reason the couple remained unofficial. Did they not realize that everyone else knew already? Whatever, it wasn't his problem and he was not about to butt into his aunt's love life.

Emily leaned over the bar and gave him a disclaimer, "Please keep in mind that this is a mere snapshot in time and provides zero context for whatever Violet was doing." The barkeep extended her arm to show Shane the photo. It was definitely Violet, that much was for sure. Her eyes were glazed over and she was in the middle of stumbling up a stair. Her hair was a bit unkempt and there was a bit of dirt on her shirt, but she _was_ a farmer. "The new girl is a freak," the words below read. A response from Alex made a joke about the new girl being unable to hold her liquor. Emily had defended Violet just below that and condemned her sister's spying on other people.

"She does look drunk if nothing else," Shane admitted reluctantly, "but that does not mean much, to be honest." Emily relaxed at the latter half of his statement and frowned again as another response from her sister appeared on the screen. Emily muttered to herself as Shane continued to nurse his lukewarm beer. Despite what he said, Shane was concerned the new girl was heading down the wrong path. While they had only interacted personally once, from what he saw on Friday night, she seemed smart, sociable, friendly. Violet had a future to live for, there was no reason for someone like her to lose all of that potential and end up a worthless piece of shit like him.

"Just forget it, Emily," Shane told the barkeep. He shrugged his shoulders and stared at the bottom of his now-empty pint. "You can't change your sister, but you can decide to ignore the photo and what Haley's trying to imply."

Emily considered this for a moment and beamed at him. "That is so wise, Shane," the sapphire-haired woman agreed. "Haley's behavior is only encouraged by the attention. I should not feed into the cycle of negativity." She reached over the bar and took his hand, "Let's try to give the universe a little positive energy to counteract it, okay?"

This was one of those moments that Shane decided it was best to just roll with whatever strange thing Emily wanted to do. It did not hurt anyone and although he would never say so, it was nice to hold hands with someone else. It helped remind Shane that he was still here on the planet and at least someone cared enough to make physical contact. He did not get that growing up and part of Shane ached for that kind of platonic relationship. So, despite his grumbling, Shane did not pull his hand away and let Emily say whatever string of nonsense syllables she needed to "release the energy into the universe."

As she closed her eyes and hummed atonally, Shane wondered if Emily's vivacity would ever rub off on him. A few pints of that would be potent stuff.

The beep of the microwave signaled his breakfast burrito was ready and brought Shane's focus back to the present. He pried open the door and grabbed the burrito, not worrying about a plate. The damn thing was too hot on the outside and lukewarm on the inside, but Shane was past the point of caring. Just another disappointment in his pointless life.

While he hated his job at the local Joja Mart, Shane despised Sundays the most because he had nothing to do. He felt lost without some sort of structure to his day, and without a sense of purpose, even something as dumb as stocking shelves at Joja, Shane would just get drunk to kill time. As the years had gone on, it took more drinks to get inebriated and inevitably more and more of his day was dedicated to alcohol.

But so what? It was not as if he had any friends with whom to spend his free time. The chicken farmer could hardly remember the last time he had friends. Was it really back when he played on the school gridball team? Hell, his teammates may not have even liked him. They just needed him as a strong guy that could still run at a decent speed on the team. Shane's dark eyes glanced down at his body and sigh miserably. He was not even all that strong or fast anymore, just... flabby and easily out of breath. It made him even more depressed.

A shuffling from down the hall alerted Shane that Marnie was awake. "Morning, nephew!" she greeted him cheerily, passing him to open the fridge. "I'm about to make Jas some pancakes. Would you like any?"

The depressed man shook his head, "No, I already ate," he said downing the last lukewarm piece of breakfast burrito. Marnie tsk'd at the sad state of Shane's meal, but did not say much else. "Don't forget the chickens!" she reminded Shane.

The dark-haired man grumbled, but got out of his chair, "I won't forget the chickens, aunt Marn." Dragging his feet, Shane slipped on his shoes and went out to the coop. He could not complain to Marnie without her nagging, which in turn made him feel worse about himself. But at least Charlie would always listen without judgement. Then again, she was a hen.

* * *

After Violet worked out plans with Rebecca for her upcoming visit for the Flower Dance, she collected her first bunches of ripe kale and potatoes. She was satisfied with the results, though she herself hated the taste of kale. Her dad once went on a health-food diet that he also inflicted on her as a teenager. It nearly destroyed the very foundation of their relationship, but luckily after a couple of weeks of kale-based smoothies and some dramatic ultimatums on her part, even her father gave up. Thank Yoba.

She set aside a handful of her best kale for Leah and a few potatoes for herself. Violet figured with the way the red-head loved salads so much, she must like other healthy greens. The farmer wanted a way to thank Leah for talking with her on Friday and being the voice of reason to parry all of Elliott's wild romantic theories regarding her non-existent relationship with Sebastian.

Either way, she had several missions today: sell her produce to Pierre, buy new seeds to replace the ones she harvested, explore the mines briefly, return the Tupperware to Robin, and drop off the kale to Leah. Planning for the most efficiency in her day, Violet decided to start with the carpentry shop first, then the mines, the general store, and finally Leah's before she headed back home. As long as she left the mines by 3:00 PM, she should have plenty of time. With all the ruckus from this morning, Violet was slow to get started this morning. It was already past eleven. "Alright, so less time to explore than I thought, but no worries."

Violet decided to take the mountain path north of her farm to get to Robin's the fastest. On the way, she found a few forage-able foods and tucked them away in her bag, which was already starting to get full. Hopefully that would not be too much of a problem for exploring the caves. Violet made good time and got to the mountain road just as the sun was reaching high noon. The farmer pushed open the door to the carpentry shop and found Robin standing behind the desk, looking depressed that she was not outside on such a beautiful day. The ginger immediately stood up as the bell on the door chimed to announce the arrival of a customer.

Robin smiled, "Oh, hi Violet. What can I make you today?"

Violet sighed, still a bit sad that it would take a while to save up for a proper kitchen. She had thought of something she could use along the way, however. "I wanted to pitch an idea to you," Violet responded. "I don't think it's something you would have been asked to make before, but I could be wrong."

The carpenter usually stuck to her catalog of items, but she was intrigued. "What were you thinking, Violet?"

The farmer explained that a friend of hers was coming to visit in a few weeks and she wanted another bed to sleep on in the house. "I want it to be level with my current bed to just make a bigger one, but I also want to able to be tucked away when I'm not using it, though. Like a pop-up trundle bed!"

The red-head considered this a moment. "It's true, I've never made one before and the mechanics of it would be a challenge if I made it entirely of wood..." she thought out loud, tapping her cheek with her fingertip. "I suppose I can't interest you in an entire spare cabin? It's pretty cheap since it's subsidized by the town's agricultural fund."

"That's a thing?" Violet asked, surprised. Robin nodded in confirmation. "Bex is coming to visit to catch up and while it would be nice to have a guest cabin, I think we're kind of looking forward to the old sleep-over experience," Violet told the carpenter. "I'll definitely be interested in a guest cabin in the future, though. I just want to make sure I get that kitchen in the main house first!"

Robin smiled knowingly. This girl was going to give her some good business in the future. "Alright, Violet," the carpenter said. It was best to keep good customer's happy after all, "I'll see what I can do. It'll cost you 10 gold and I'll start first thing in the morning."

Violet was shocked that she got what she wanted just by asking, but she was not about to question the generosity. She paid Robin and let her know how much she appreciated taking a custom job.

Robin shrugged, "Trust me, you are not the only one who has asked for something to be custom-made. Your request is just more... wholesome," she chortled to herself.

That latter part of the statement made the farmer positive she did not want to know what Robin had been asked to make or by whom. Violet did not want her view of her neighbors to be tainted this early. The wavy-haired woman gently pulled out the freshly cleaned container and utensils that Robin had lent her. "I'm also here to return these and thank you again for the delicious spaghetti."

The mother beamed with pride from Violet's praise. "Oh, don't mention it, sweetie," she said. Though Violet got the sense that Robin, in fact, liked the compliments on her spaghetti and hoped for more at some point. Robin came from around the desk to collect the items and stopped for a moment when she saw Violet in full view.

"Is... something wrong?" Violet wondered aloud. Did she have dirt on her face from this morning's harvest? Her dark blue eyes scanned her body for signs of blemish.

Robin, who realized she had been staring, shook her head. "Oh, no," she assured the farmer. "I just recognized the shirt..."

Violet was relieved and interrupted to explain herself. "Oh, yes. Maru said she was interested in studying some particulates on the shirt I was wearing on a particular day to see if it would give her some kind of... profile?" The newcomer was a little fuzzy on the exact language Maru had used. "So I got this one out of her drawer to trade for now."

Robin's grin widened as she laughed. "So yours is the shirt that Maru and Demetrius are studying under the microscope this morning." The realization helped her connect the dots, "It looked a bit familiar, but I couldn't figure out where I had seen it." Violet hoped that cleared the air for whatever conclusions Robin had made when she saw the farmer wearing her daughter's shirt. The carpenter glanced down the hall. "I wouldn't disturb Demetrius and Maru right now, they're in the lab examining every centimeter of that fabric and collecting samples." She raised the recently returned food container, "Thank you for returning this. I'll be sure to have something else for you the next time I see you."

Violet put waved hands in front of her body in a declining gesture, "While I appreciate it, you don't have to feed me, you know."

"Oh, just let me be a mother," Robin insisted offhandedly. "In any case, I'm going to put these in the kitchen. I hope we will see you again soon."

The farmer took that as her cue to leave and did so, thanking Robin for her generosity once again as she left the building to head for the mines.

Robin, meanwhile, paused in the lab on the way to the kitchen, "Maru, will you come help me, please?" she asked her daughter. The young scientist lifted her head from the microscope. "Just a minute, mom," she replied.

The red-head grimaced, " _Now_ , please," she insisted. Maru recognized that tone. It was one she did not hear often, she made sure of that. Immediately, the researcher secured her equipment and follow her mother down the hall to the kitchen, leaving her father to their work.

Once they were in the next room, away from Demetrius, Robin spun around and looked at her daughter deliberately, "Maru, dear," she began with an exasperated tone, "Why did you give Violet one of your brother's shirts? And why did you _really_ ask to inspect her shirt?"

Maru raised her index finger, "To be fair, Violet chose Sebastian's old shirt herself in my drawer. It must have gotten mixed up when we put laundry away at some point. " Robin sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, clearly demonstrating that she knew her daughter was stalling. Maru lowered her gaze to look at the floor and twiddled her fingers in front of her. "As for your second inquiry, I can explain..."

* * *

Violet made her way to the mouth of the cave, which had previously been blocked the last time she traveled this way. She did not think it would be as easy to find the entrance, but to her surprise it was highly visible from the plank bridge now that the boulder was removed. The gap in the rock was framed handsomely with support beams and a little lantern to one side. "Oh... maybe I should have brought a light of some sort," Violet realized just then. "Well, too late now. I'll just take a quick peek."

To the farmer's surprise, the interior of the mine's main cavern was well-lit with active lanterns along the stone walls every fifteen feet or so. An older man with spiky white hair and facial hair to match stood inside. Over his right eye was a black patch, suggesting his was missing the eye completely or that it was no longer functional. He wore an emerald green shirt and a brown cape draped over his right side. "Hmmm..." he mumbled to himself.

Rather than sneak up on an old man, Violet thought it best to approach from the front, opposite of what appeared to be a ladder down deeper into the mine. Before Violet could speak, the man said, "...I was just peering down in the old mine shaft. It's been abandoned for decades. Still, there's probably good ore down there."

He looked up at the young woman, "But a dark place, undisturbed for so long... I'm afraid that isn't the only thing you'll find..." he warned ominously. "Here, take this. You might need it," he instructed her. He tossed something her direction, and Violet caught it without thinking. It was then the woman realized that the old man had just tossed her a rusty sword. _Thank goodness I caught it by the handle!_ Violet thought gratefully. _Who throws swords at people?!_

"Name's Marlon, by the way. I run the adventurer's guild right outside," he explained, showing on some embroidery on his shirt, which Violet had to assume was the insignia for the guild. "Violet," the young woman said, the only word she could get in edge-wise before she was distracted by the familiarity of the symbol. Violet could swear she had seen that pattern somewhere before, but should could not picture the context. "I'll keep my eye on you," Marlon told her with a pointed look. "Prove yourself worthy and I might think about making you a member." Without hesitation, the guild master left the cave, his cape billowing behind him dramatically. The farmer had a feeling he put a lot of thought into his attire for the style points. As she watched Marlon leave, Violet noticed the man also had a limp in one leg. "Is this cave... actually dangerous?" she worried aloud, leaning over the hole in the ground that opened into the tunnels below.

No noises traveled up the hole, so Violet decided that one level could not hurt anything. The explorer tied the sword to her pack and climbed down the ladder. The cavern, like the main entrance above it, was well-lit. The stone walls harbored lanterns, though Violet could not tell what fueled them. It seemed unlikely that it would be gas or oil, since these mines were supposedly abandoned, but then again, what else could it be? I did not appear to be electric light and with the complaints about the town's budget, Violet doubted the Mayor would keep the power going if it cost Pelican Town previous tax dollars. This whole place seemed odd to the new farmer.

Seeing so many rocks potentially filled with ore around her, Violet took a swing at one and bust it open. Nothing interesting but bits of stone for building. She tried a few others with the same results, however one revealed a hole with a ladder down. There was nothing unusual about the mines thus far and she still had an hour to explore before she would need to leave to get to Pierre's. "Why not?" she told herself as she descended down another floor.

This time, Violet spied a rock pocked with copper spots. "That must have some ore in it," Violet reasoned, taking her pickaxe to it. This time, it did not break apart right away. She tried again. Still nothing. "Third time's a charm," she said to herself and sure enough, the rock split. She found three good chunks of copper ore in it and squirreled them away in her pack. Turning around, she saw on the ground a beautiful formation of quartz. Violet picked it up to inspect it and found that it was already loose from the rock. To Violet's surprise, the crystals were nicely formed. The young woman liked quartz of any variety, really. She was amazed how many colors varieties it had and how the colors melded together so naturally. This particular specimen appeared to be more of a milky quartz. Violet put it in her bag as well. "Hm... only one more slot left in here, huh?" she realized.

Violet decided to break up a few more stones before she left. In doing so, she cleared a path to go further down the length of the cavern. It was well-lit and she did not see anything that could be treacherous, so the farmer decided to press on for just a little bit longer. About half-way along the passageway, Violet detected some movement. Was it a small rodent or another cave-dweller? While she was not a fan of rodents touching her, she did not mind seeing them. The young woman got closer to investigate.

From the rotund shape, Violet thought it might be a Junimo lost in the cave, but the way it moved was completely different and it had no arms or legs. "Is that... a slime?" Violet could not believe her eyes. She had only encountered slimes in video games, comics, and anime. She thought of the last one she had encountered in a fandom and laughed. "Aw, look at the cute little slime! Should I call you Rimuru?" This slime was green, so it was the wrong color to be main character of the isekai, but she enjoyed her own joke nonetheless.

She knelt down and offered a hand to the slime, who seemed to flush red at the sight of her. It bounded toward her with unexpected speed, but Violet stood her ground. "Hey, little guy," she greeted the emerald-colored slime. The small creature bypassed her outstretched hand and tackled her with all its might. Violet fell over and landed on her ass. "OW!" she complained, as the slime rebounded and collided with her again. The cave explorer swatted it away with her pickaxe, but the green blob came at her again.

While overall, the damage was not much, Violet knew she could not take this repeatedly without serious injury. She sighed and retrieved the sword that Marlon gave her. "Sorry, little guy," she apologized, "but you did attack me first." She swung the rusty sword at the slime, who recoiled at the impact. Though the sword edge was dull, it did seem to be functional. Violet attacked again, trying to show the slime that she meant it and that it should back off. It did take damage, but it boomeranged right back to tackle her. "Oh, hell, no," she said in annoyance, taking aim and making contact with the blubbery creature.

The slime oozed into nothingness, save for a small, immobile, gelatinous nugget. She felt a bit badly for killing it. Violet poked at the core of the slime with the tip of her weapon, but it did not budge. Her dark blue eyes inspected it curiously. "Huh... Is this... monster loot?" she said, half-jokingly. Gingerly, Violet scooped up the remnant and observed it more closely. Nothing happened, it was just a transparent ball of slime as far as she could tell. So, Violet decided to put it in her bag to fill her last slot. It was about time for her to leave anyway.

"What a weird place," Violet said to herself. She was beginning to wonder if her grandparents knew about all these seemingly-magical elements of the town. Is that why they chose to stay in such an otherwise nondescript place? While it was beautiful, perhaps there was more to Stardew Valley than Violet initially thought. The idea excited her. Could there really be a tiny bit of magic in the world? She did not have to become a full-on witch, but having a connection to something more - something special only to this place - thrilled her in a way she had not felt in a long time. Not since she was a child and saw the shadow creature through the farmhouse window.

Realizing the time, Violet retraced her steps and climbed the main ladder back up to the entrance floor. The farmer made a vow to come back and explore the caves further on another day. This place was too interesting to stay away for long.

Making a bee-line for town, the young woman got to Pierre's in time to sell her goods and buy the seeds she needed to replenish her garden without a problem. Luckily, she had remembered that the Junimos wanted the springtime plants that were found wild in the area, so she kept one of each of those and headed back to the Community Center. Making sure no one saw her, she entered the crumbling building and turned left toward the room she desired. The farmer stood in front of the golden tile on the floor and placed a horseradish, a daffodil, a dandelion, and a leek atop of it. By now, Violet thought she would be used to seeing strange things occur, but the plants disappeared in a flash and in their place lay a packet of seeds.

She looked around, but saw no Junimos. "Thanks, little guys," she said to show her appreciation. Maybe I didn't have to buy seeds for Pierre after all, she pondered. Either way, it did not matter. More seeds meant more produce and more produce meant more food and money! While Violet still did not see any Junimos, she waved good-bye just in case as she left the building. "BAI!" a little voice called after her as she left. Violet jumped slightly at first, but chuckled whens he saw the little arm waving from the broken window.

Focusing on the task at hand, Violet ruminated on the remaining item on her list of goals for the day. "Just drop off this batch of kale to Leah, I suppose." While the sun was starting to dip in the sky a little, it was not getting dark yet. "I wonder if I should try fishing in the river?" She went to the bridge between the south end of town and the beach to try her luck.

Elliott passed her by on his way into town, but he seemed engrossed in thought so he did not notice her waving to him. It took her a while to get the hang of using the bamboo rod, but eventually Violet managed to hook herself a few smallmouth bass and a couple of breams. At this point the sun was starting to sink low in the sky and she saw the birds starting to land in their trees to settle down for the night. A few bold bats had already started their hunt for insects.

"I hope I'm not too late," Violet stated, realizing that as a single woman living alone, Leah might not open her door to someone once it got dark. Reeling her line back in, Violet put the pole away and headed west toward the Cindersap Forest.

Unfortunately, Violet did not see any lights on in Leah's cottage when she finally reached it and if Leah was already settled down for the evening, she was not about to disturb her. She had a pad of paper and a pen in her bag, and wrote a quick note to her new friend. "Thought you would enjoy these! - Violet." She attached the note by slipping it under the twine that kept the kale together and wedged it between the door and its handle so it would not be on the ground.

The crickets' nightly orchestra echoed throughout the forest as she passed Marnie's ranch toward her house. However, Violet paused when she noticed a faint glow in the distance. Did someone have a campfire going? While it was dark, the moonlight provided enough to see enough to avoid danger. The farmer resolved to look into the source of the light.

The young woman did not have to go far before she realized it was not a campfire, but a bright lantern. On the far end of the lake dock, a dark figure stood next to it. While she had only spoken to him once, Violet was pretty sure it from his profile he was the rude guy from the bar. She supposed she could make a second attempt to get his name and make sure he was okay.

The old boards of the dock squeaked a protest as her weight shifted onto them, alerting the man to her presence. "Up late, huh?" he said, tossing her one of his beers. "Here, have a cold one." Violet was not particularly fond of beer. It had a nasty taste, in her opinion. If she was aiming to get drunk, she usually chose something that tasted a bit sweeter and more palatable to her. She did not want to be rude, though. "Uh... thanks," she said to voice her appreciation. She stared at the brew for a while, "My name's Violet," she informed the dark-hair man. "In case you didn't hear from the rest of the townspeople," she said, laughing a bit nervously. She hoped he was in a better mood today.

"Shane," the man replied, scratching the side of his unshaven face. He slumped his shoulders and sighed heavily, taking a big swig of his beer. "Buh… Life," he muttered. Violet glanced at him side-on, wondering whether or not she expected her to respond. He answered her question by continuing with an inquiry of his own: "You ever feel like… no matter what you do, you're gonna fail?" Violet could hear the sadness in his voice. She grimaced and looked down at the boards beneath her feet.

"...Like you're stuck in some miserable abyss and you're so deep you can't even see the light of day?" the desperation in his tone was bleak. It made Violet feel sorry for him. She thought she saw tears welling up in his eyes. "I just feel like no matter how hard I try… I'm not strong enough to climb out of that hole," he covered his face with his free hand for a moment, pretending to swat away a bug, though unsuccessfully.

Violet was unsure of what to say, so she downed her beverage all at once. Both to avoid having to speak and to reduce how much of the nasty beer she tasted. Shane looked her over and chuckled, "Heh… fast drinker, huh? Woman after my own heart."

Shane thought of the picture Emily showed him of Violet looking worse for wear from the previous day. _I gotta stop anyone else from falling too far into this damn hole,_ he told himself silently. "Just don't make it a habit…" he warned, attempting not to sound judgmental. Who was he to judge, after all? He was the town's junior alcoholic, second only to Pam. "You got a future ahead of you still," Shane assured Violet.

The young farmer exhaled, already feeling a bit flush from the drink. But she could tell she wasn't going to be too drunk from the beer, it was normal, unlike the brew from the wizard. The most she would get was a bit tipsy. Violet felt the need to say something, though. "Hey, Shane," she addressed the man beside her. His ink-black eyes focused on hers and she felt his pain so clearly from that one look. He wore an ill-fitting jersey under his holey Joja Mart jacket, and his face was unkempt. Shane was literally a textbook image of someone in a deep depression and spiraling hard. She knew working for Joja could do that to people, but she was sure that was not the only reason. Violet worried for him.

"I... know we don't really know each other," she stated, "but sometimes that makes things easier. If you ever want to talk, or just to... rant about life, I guess. I'm close by." Violet was not sure if he would take her up on the offer, but she smiled weakly, hoping it would get her sincerity across.

Shane turned to look out at the lake in silence. For a while, they just stood there together, watching the ripples on the lake from the insects and night fish that preyed upon them. Finally, Shane finished his current beer and straightened himself up. "Welp…" he said with a stretch. "My liver's beggin' me to stop. Better call it a night." He took her empty beer can and added it to his own back into the cardboard pack, now empty. Picking it up, he headed back toward Marnie's ranch. "See you around, Violet."

Violet could not find her words, but she did manage to wave good-bye. The young woman watched him go, praying that one day she would not find him still and lifeless somewhere in these woods. Hot tears ran down her face as her mind's eye reflected the lifeless look in Shane's eyes as he stared at her. The world had broken him and no one had pulled him away from it, like her grandfather had her, even after his death. Violet was legitimately scared for Shane and decided she wanted to keep an eye on him from now on. Violet knew it wasn't her job to save anyone, but if she could try to make friends with someone who needed it so much, where was the harm? She just hoped that they would not drown each other in sorrow and old, open wounds.


	14. Little White Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet addresses a rumor in town when having some drinks with Leah. Abigail and Sam meet to discuss potential development Operation: Crab Cake.

**Little White Lies**

The first day of her second week passed relatively uneventfully. Early Monday morning, Violet expanded her garden to include the new seeds that she received from the Junimos the previous evening and with that came the additional time commitment to water the new crops. From her experience thus far, the farmer realized she had a nice spring variety, albeit mostly parsnips, planted in the soil. Her second batch of parsnips would be ready tomorrow, by her estimate, and the first green bean and cauliflower crops would mature later this week.

While she was tempted to continue to explore the mines, she had laundry to do. She spent the rest of the morning washing her clothes and drying them out on a clothesline. There was a light breeze that day, which made sitting under the pine shade of the grove delightful. As she sat, the farmer made a few sets of field snacks for later in the week, when she would go back to explore the mine. While the slimes were cute, Violet knew she would likely encounter more of them and be forced to defend herself. Violet knew needed fuel if she wanted to properly explore the depths of the cave and all of its potential. The woman wondered what other minerals, ores, and creatures she could find dwelling under the mountain. Part of Violet hoped she could find something she could keep as a pet. Now that she was no longer in an apartment that was finally possible.

The idea of returning to the mines immediately was tempting, but Violet decided it would be best to focus on making some money outdoors while the weather was nice. So, the young woman spent the rest of the day foraging and fishing in the forest lake. Violet left some of her haul in the chest outside her house for the Mayor to collect, but she kept some things for herself to make some food over a campfire, since a kitchen was still something she lacked. It took a while, and while part of it was definitely over-cooked, Violet could not remember a time when fish tasted so good. It must be something about catching it herself, she thought.

On Tuesday, the first rainy day of the season allowed Violet to rest for a while lying in bed, listening to the percussion of the rain on the roof and window panes. The gentle music of the raindrops acted like a lullaby, making it difficult for Violet to muster the energy to start her day. Eventually, it needed to be done, however. She had her second crop of parsnips to harvest, after all.

To make sure she was somewhat productive after going to Pierre's, the young woman decided to fish at the pier for a while before heading to The Stardrop Saloon that evening. As she cast her line into the sea, Violet noticed that someone was standing at the edge of the long pier that jutted out toward the open ocean. The farmer did not want to disturb them. She moved her base of operations to the dock just outside Willy's shop and after a few hours, Violet had a nice haul of anchovies and herring. Much to her surprise, she managed a couple of flounder and halibut as well. Violet rushed to get to Willy's shop before it closed, but the door was locked with a note that stated: "Doc Appointment. Closed today."

The young woman sighed, if she had known, she would not have caught so many so she would not have to bring them all the way back to her house. That did remind her, though. She removed the reminder card regarding her appointment out of her own pocket. It was practically illegible, both from when she originally fell in the mountain lake and from when she clearly forgot to remove it from her jeans when she washed them last. All Violet could make out was that it was "_hu_s_y Su_r,│th." Even with the ink partially washed off, it was clear that the appointment was a Thursday in Summer. That was confirmed with how much she remembered when talking to Doctor Harvey, anyway.

After examining the damaged card, she realized that it couldn't be anything that ended in first, second, or third, both because of the day of the week or because they were marked with "st," "nd," and "rd" respectively in the style written. Violet was proud of herself. Filling in the blanks wasn't so difficult, after all. "That's right, it was Thursday, Summer 4th," Violet told herself. Retrieving a pen from her bag, she wrote it down again. This time in fresh ink. The woman realized she would have to write it down on something that would remain dry, but she would do that when she got home that night.

It was late afternoon, though one could hardly tell because of the rain. Violet decided to see if anyone was at The Stardrop Saloon on a gloomy day like this. As she neared the bar, Violet spied Leah coming from the west. "Going to The Stardrop?" she asked the red-head.

Realizing it was the new farmer, Leah smiled, "Oh, hey, Violet," she greeted her. "Yeah, I always come here to get out of the house on rainy days." The artist opened the door and beckoned Violet inside, "C'mon, we can sit and chat over a drink."

The newcomer accepted the invitation and ducked in out of the rain into the local bar. Violet waved to Emily, who tended the bar, as usual. "What can I get you ladies?" asked the woman clad in red. There was shuffling in the back, which suggested that Gus was in the stock room or making things in the kitchen while the part-timer manned the front.

"You know me, Emily," Leah said, approaching the bar. "A glass of whatever wine is in season right now." The barkeep was already pouring when Leah finished her sentence and placed the glass gently on the counter.

"And you?" the jewel-toned woman asked Violet curiously. She knew all the preferred drinks of the regulars in town at this point. Emily wondered what kinds the new farmer enjoyed.

Violet sighed. She promised herself to lay off drinking for a while after the voicemail she left for Rebecca, but she had immediately broken it a few days ago when Shane handed her a beer. "I'm not really feeling alcohol right now," she stated. "What have you got otherwise?"

Emily excitedly listed off several juices, teas, mocktails, and of course – water. It was not often she got asked about other drinks on offer. "I'll take a warm tea, I think," Violet decided. "I've been outside fishing all afternoon." A few waves had splashed against the pier just so her umbrella was completely useless, wetting the bottom half of her jeans.

The barkeep nodded and went off to fetch the kettle to boil the required water. "Coming right up!" The woman was not sure if it was evidence for or against her sister Haley's theory that Violet had a substance use problem, but she chose to believe in actions, not rumors. As far as Emily was concerned, Violet was just a new resident to Pelican Town and she adored meeting new people.

Leah had already sat down at the bar, rather than the normal table in the corner and sipped her wine happily. Violet sat down next to her, pulling the bar stool to an acceptable distance for a friendly chat. The ginger's face lit up, as if she remembered something. "Oh, I wanted to remember to thank you for the kale," Leah declared her appreciation for the freshness, as well as the home delivery. "I'll admit it caught me off-guard," Leah said. "It fell onto my feet when I opened the front door to leave the house yesterday morning. I thought it was small animal at first!" She laughed, "But once I saw what it was and the note you left behind, I just went right back inside and used it to make the best kale omelet I've had in ages."

Violet could not imagine kale being tasty in any form, but was happy that Leah enjoyed the gift. "Any requests for produce or other farm-made products?" the farmer asked the artist. "I could use some ideas for goals on my farm."

The red-head pursed her lips, thinking. "I love goat cheese," she said, almost dreamily. After further consideration, she added, "And truffles, wine, beets, and tomatoes." The sculptor laughed, "Basically anything that grows in the ground, though. I don't mind being a guinea pig to sample your first harvest attempts." Violet had a feeling Leah just wanted some free food, but who could blame her? At least the woman trusted her enough to grow something edible.

Emily came by with Violet's tea, which was the perfect drinking temperature. She took a sip and the steamy liquid instantly warmed her insides. "Ugh, I had no idea how cold I had become from the rain," she told the barkeep thankfully. "You're the best, Emily."

Emily practically burst with joy from the compliment, "You are so welcome, Violet," she chirped, pulling the serving tray to her chest. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."

When the barkeep left, Leah glanced at Violet side-on. "So…" she started, "How was the rest of your first week in Pelican Town?" The red-head seemed to think that something had occurred, but Violet was not sure what the artist had heard from the town rumor mill.

The farmer thought for a moment, "Well, let's see… I last saw you Friday evening here at the bar." Violet thought of what might be relevant information, "I played pool with Abigail versus Sam and Sebastian. I'm sure you heard the results of that match," the shorter woman chuckled.

Leah nodded, "Oh yeah, Abigail made it very well-known," she replied with a laugh of her own. "I don't think Sebastian will ever live that down if she has anything to say about it."

The newest resident of the valley agreed. "Then I got invited to come back this Friday for a re-match. We'll see how it goes," Violet shrugged, knowing that Abigail carried the team almost single-handedly. "After that Abigail and Sam left together and Sebastian walked me home. On Saturday, I went to the - "

"Hold it right there, Violet!" Leah demanded, smacking her hand lightly on the bar. The sound, though not loud, surprised Emily since The Stardrop Saloon was relatively empty. "I want to hear more about Friday night."

Violet's feet dangled loosely from the bar stool. Her legs were not long enough to rest on the lower rung, but too long for the shortest. This was a common problem, but it had the annoying effect of making her feel like a child sitting over-sized furniture. "What about it?"

Leah frowned, "Did anything… happen?" she looked at Violet with concern.

"I thought I told you that I'm not looking for anything right now. Why are you asking?" the purple-haired woman asked, clearly annoyed.

The ginger's frowned deepened and she appeared uncomfortable. "Look, I know it's none of my business, but I ran into Haley yesterday on the way to Pierre's and she showed me a photo she had taken of you. I'm not saying it's right for her to have done that, but -"

Emily planted her elbows on the counter between Violet and Leah. "Hello," she interjected in a friendly manner. "I don't mean to be rude, but it's kind of hard not to overhear when the bar is so slow and quiet." She brought out her phone and scrolled until she found what she wanted. "Now, farmer Violet, I have already told my sister that this wasn't right and that she's jumping to conclusions, but that apparently has not stopped her from trying to stir up trouble." Emily's phone shone with a picture of Violet, stumbling along the path up toward the Community Center with a less than flattering caption.

Leah grimaced, "Yeah, that's what she showed me. I was just concerned something… _bad_ happened."

Violet sighed and slumped in her seat, "Oh, _that_." The farmer should not have been surprised, but she was caught off-guard that someone captured such an embarrassing moment on camera. She sighed, trying to think of a good lie that did not include purposefully drugging herself to read the language of forest spirits. "I went foraging and ate something I thought was safe. Apparently this city girl has a lot to learn…" she sighed, resting her head on the bar to hide her face and hoping that would be convincing enough. Violet knew her face would give her away.

The red-head smirked, but covered her mouth politely to try and reduce Violet's embarrassment. "Oh!" Leah replied in surprise. "I'm glad whatever you ate wasn't something more dangerous." Emily, too, seemed relieved and satisfied by the lie. Violet exhaled, knowing that the story liberated her from whatever other rumors had floated around for the past few days. She straightened herself up in her seat. "You know, I'd be happy to show you around and do an edible plants hike with you," Leah offered. "That way you don't get yourself into more trouble."

Violet thought it was a good idea, whether or not her story was true. "I'd like that," the farmer admitted.

Leah seemed excited to teach someone about the bounties of the forest. "I usually do some sketching on Wednesdays, but we could still do our hike tomorrow, if you want," she told Violet. "I'd hate for someone to poison themselves if I could have done something to help."

While the farmer did lie about why she was in such a state, Violet looked forward to spending more time with Leah and learning more about safe foraging practices. She was getting sick of eating the same things every day. Not to mention she hoped to get to know Leah better. Violet hoped they could be friends. "It's a deal, then."

The two ironed out the details of where and when to meet the next day as the entry bell to the bar rang. It was Doctor Harvey. "Hey, doc!" the farmer called over to the mustached man. "How are you today?" she asked politely.

Harvey shifted his bespectacled gazed toward the two at the bar. "Oh, hello, ladies," he said in greeting. "I trust everyone is in good health?"

Both Leah and Violet confirmed, while the farmer offered up the seat on the side opposite Leah. "You can join us if you want," she told the doctor.

Harvey shook his head, holding up a folder he had kept under his arm. "I'm afraid I have some private notes to go through and organize, but perhaps another time." Violet figured he probably came to The Stardrop Saloon to get a change of scenery while he did some work. The brunet sat at the other end of the bar counter and ordered a drink from Emily. Gus, who finally emerged from the back, listed off the menu for the day. Once Harvey had chosen, he settled in and focused on his notes.

"I wonder what it's like…" Violet mused aloud, glancing over her shoulder at the doctor.

Leah seemed curious. "What do you mean?" she asked the farmer.

Violet shrugged, "I guess just being a doctor – or any health professional – in a small town. You know so much about the people around you, but you can't talk about it in public or have to pretend that you don't know when you're out and about as a regular citizen." The newcomer took the last sip of her tea, "I think it would be hard to make friends without the locals feeling that you inadvertently have the upper hand in a weird, but essential power dynamic by being their doctor."

The artist had never considered that before. Sure, she would speak to Harvey every once and a while, but the most they ever talked was during her yearly check-up. Did he have any friends in town? Leah was not sure he did, other than maybe Maru, who assisted him in the clinic part-time. "Huh…" the red-head muttered, finishing her glass of wine, "I guess I never thought of that." He might be kind of lonely. Perhaps she should try to be friendlier with the Harvey from now on.

Leah glanced at the bottom of her empty wine glass, considering if she should get another, or if she should head home. Usually she stayed until close to closing, but she was feeling unusually tired this evening. Maybe just one more glass…

Emily brought out another glass of wine for Leah and a decaffeinated tea for the farmer, who did not want to stay up all night. "Hey, Violet?" the artist said, getting the farmer's attention. "Do you wanna walk home together after this? I think I'm about done for the night and we're headed the same way anyway."

Violet considered for a moment. It would be a little bit more of a walk for her to go home from the south, but that was not a problem. She needed to keep moving to make sure the damp did not chill her again. Smiling, the farmer accepted the invitation. The two chatted about little things in life for a while, like favorite meals, house decorations, and silly stories regarding old, terrible jobs. It was nice, Violet thought. She missed talking with others this way.

"I can't believe you used to work for Joja Corp.," Leah insisted. "You don't seem like the type of person who would willingly stay and work for a place that obviously did not care about the well-being of its employees or the environment."

The new farmer grimaced a bit. "I stayed longer than I should have." Violet hated to say it, but it was true. "I started as an intern and worked my way up after graduating. I even got employee of the month for a solid year…"

"You didn't!" Leah gasped dramatically. Seeing Violet now, she could not imagine this woman working a desk job. Farming definitely agreed with Violet.

The shorter woman groaned, "Oh, I did. To be fair, I used to look different before I got here. My friend Bex gave me a new look right before I moved here," Violet explained. "She's a decently famous cosmetologist in NuNu City now."

"Oh, lemme see a picture, Violet!" Leah pled, obviously slightly tipsy, but enjoying herself.

Violet shrugged. What was the harm? She pulled her phone out and scrolled through to find a decent selfie. Ah, her last professional head shot. How boring, yet safe. She handed the phone over to Leah, who scanned the portrait eagerly. "You were blonde!" Leah exclaimed, "And your hair was so long!" Violet nodded, a bit embarrassed that the ginger was so enthused, but there was hardly anyone around.

Emily appeared out of thin air and stole a look over Leah's shoulder. "Poor Violet," she declared, "your aura was so grey back then." Her warm brown eyes looked up at the farmer's face. "But I can tell already that coming to Pelican Town was a good choice. The light in your eyes is starting to sparkle through!" Before Violet could ask what she meant, Emily disappeared to the back room to restock.

The farmer took the phone back from Leah, who could not handle the difference between the Violet of two weeks ago and the Violet that sat beside her. "You look so different," she asserted while fiddling with her long braid. "I would have never guessed that was a picture of you." The young woman looked at the photo on her phone. Emily was right, she did look half-dead. Her eyes had been dull and while her fair hair was well-kept, it did not show any personality. Hell, she even had bags under her eyes concealed by layers of makeup. The transformation in just a few short weeks was incredible, Violet had to admit. She could not help but feel lighter since moving to the valley.

Violet twirled a lock of her pastel hair between her fingers, wondering how else her career change would breathe new life into her. Seeing the transformation so starkly now reassured her that she had made the right choice. Now the question was how would she make this life one worth living.

"Hey, Viiiiiolet!" Leah called gently, waving a hand in front of her friend's face. "You doing okay?"

The farmer shook her head to clear her mind, "Sorry," she apologized to the ginger. "Just got a little lost in thought. You ready to head out?"

Leah gave her a quick thumbs up and slid out of her seat. "Yeah, let's get going." She gave a little wave to Gus, Emily, and Harvey, "Have a good night everyone!" Violet mimicked the gesture and followed the tipsy woman out the door into the rain. The droplets collided with their umbrellas in a singsong fashion. It had been pouring consistently all day, which hardly ever happened back home. The puddles forming in the cobblestone pathway and in the sunken parts of the grass were impressive miniature lakes.

There was giant puddle in front of the beige house that Violet had to jump to cross. Unfortunately, she had never been great with leaping either horizontally or vertically and instead of keeping dry, she made an enormous splash, dousing both herself and an innocent bystander, who shouted when the wall of cold water collided with him. "Hey!"

Leah, who had managed to dodge, despite her tipsiness, giggled. "Oh, man, Violet," she grinned, "That was a terrible jump." There was no sense arguing, the farmer thought. She should have just gone around and had she known there was someone else in the splash zone, she might have done just that. Her victim emerged from under the tree along the path and shook his head like a dog. It did nothing to revive his hair to its gravity-defying state, however.

"I'm so sorry, Sam!" Violet apologized, horrified that her clumsiness claimed another casualty. She did not have anything to help him dry off, so she flailed about trying to decide what to do next.

Sam made a sweeping motion over his head and realized his hair was plastered to his scalp. "Don't worry about it, newbie," he assured the farmer. He flashed his Game Boy, which was still perfectly dry. "I saved the goods from death by drowning," he said triumphantly. "I should know better than to game outside in the rain, but it's the only time I can be outside without my allergies killing me." Violet could understand that mentality. Her mom would get the worst allergies in the spring and fall. The young woman wondered if her mother still suffered from that ailment.

"Well, I'm glad the only fatality was your hair," Leah told the skater. "I'm sure it'll bounce back once it's dry."

Sam smiled, "It always does," he confirmed. "It's about time I head back in anyway," the blond stated. He paused a moment, looking at Violet in a way that made feel like something was off, but he dropped his skateboard on the cobblestone and pushed off before she could say anything. "See ya!" Sam called back to them as he sped off down the road. He apparently did not have far to go, as Violet quickly learned that the next house over was his as he opened the door to head inside. Violet was pleased that the three of them would be the only ones to witness the aftermath of her clumsiness.

"C'mon, Magikarp," Leah ordered the farmer with a grin, "Let's get going before you splash anyone else."

"Alright, Misty," Violet said, prodding Leah's arm teasingly. The two talked about Pokémon the rest of the way to Leah's house. It was nice to know that even in a small town like this, popular culture giants could still be a commonality between those who did not otherwise have many overlapping interests or fandom. The conversation was reaching a natural stopping point by the time they got to Leah's house, so the two women parted. Leah, into her cottage, and Violet heading northwest toward her own house.

Despite the slow start, Violet had a good day, she decided. The fish she caught earlier would make good meals and the rest would make her some good money. Not to mention she had some social time in a small group, which she much preferred anyway. Violet really felt like she was starting to form some friendships in town and it was encouraging. She had not really done so back in the city, even after living there for years. Violet got pretty lonely once Bex moved across town. It may as well have been on the other side of the country. Oh, well. She would see Rebecca again in two weeks when she came down to visit for a few days.

The farmer wondered how Rebecca would interact with the new people in her life. Sometimes the past and the present had a strange way of colliding in unexpected ways, whether they be good or bad. Her best friend would undoubtedly tell embarrassing stories at some point, but she could handle that. The people of Pelican Town already had at least two tales about Violet to share with Bex. Hopefully she would not continue to add too many exciting tales to the rumor mill.

* * *

Abigail's phone chimed, indicating a text message. Her eyes did not leave the television as she tried to weave through the bullets of her oncoming attackers. The jewel-tone haired woman mashed the button to shoot back at her opponents, but too many of them were closing in. "UGH!" she shouted, as she lost her final life in Journey of the Prairie King. She tossed the controller into the pile of pillows on her bed in frustration. Abigail retrieved her phone from her nightstand. "What could Sam want?" she wondered aloud.

 ***Took this discreetly, so don't show it anyone else,*** Sam cautioned her. ***But does this shirt look familiar to you? #OperationCrabCake.***

Abigail scrolled down to view the picture to which Sam referred. It was slightly blurry both due to the rainy conditions and what Abigail had to assume was a sneaky drive-by skateboard snap. However, she could tell it was a picture of Violet and Leah, the woman who lived to the west of town in the Cindersap Forest. Leah's shirt of course looked normal, so Sam must be referring to – Oh!

It had been at least half a year since Sebastian had worn it, but that was definitely his favorite shirt. Or at least an old favorite. Nowadays their friend seemed to wear a black hoodie everyday instead. What shirt he wore underneath it, no one could really tell. "What does this mean?" Abigail questioned.

Abigail texted Sam to ask as much: ***What is Violet doing with Sebastian's shirt?!*** She headed out the door into the rain.

* * *

Sam was lying on his bed playing chords quietly on his guitar when the tapping on his window made him jump. The blond could tell from the bold purple blotch on the other side of the glass that it was Abigail out there, urgently requesting entry. He opened the window for her and she squeeze in through the opening, almost crashing into his drum set as she thumped onto the floor in a wet heap.

"You know, you could just use the door…" Sam told her, concerned that his mother would come in and jump to the worst conclusions.

Abigail waved him off with a flick of her wrist, emphasized by a few stray water droplets "This is a secret meeting!" she insisted. "Besides, I've always wanted to enter a building through the window." Her lips curved back into a smile. "Now spill, Sam. What's the context of this situation?"

Sam shrugged, "I honestly don't know. That's why I thought I'd ask you," the skater told his friend. "Do you think it's the same one that Sebastian used to wear or does she happen to like the same style of clothing?"

From the sample of outfits Abigail had seen the new farmer wear, she doubted that Violet owned many black shirts, but she could be wrong. "It's more likely that it's hers if it's a band shirt," the woman speculated. "Lots of people get shirts for their favorite bands, adults included."

"But there's no writing on it," Sam pointed out, after examining at the photo again. "Those kinds of tees usually have at least the album name instead of depending on the cover art."

Abigail tapped her cheek with her index finger, "I mean… we hoped that he would walk her home on Friday night," she thought aloud. "And from what you said about the hangout you had with Sebastian this weekend, he did."

Sam nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but nothing that suggested they did anything more than talk." The skater tilted his head toward Abigail, "And knowing how… hesitant he is to talk about his feelings to a girl, there's no way this is a sexy shirt swap." Sam winked at her playfully.

Abigail groaned at the reminder of Sebastian's unrequited feelings. Abigail wanted to maintain their friendship as it was and she knew Sebastian wanted more, but since neither of them ever talked about it they remained in this strange holding pattern. Meanwhile, Sam was stuck in the middle, knowing what each of his friends wanted, but also aware that their desires were out of sync. It was a depressing dynamic, Abigail thought.

"I gotta confess something slightly related to all this," Sam stated reluctantly, flopping onto his bed and putting his feet up on his wall so he could stare up at the ceiling. Abigail sighed and sat on the foot of the bed beside him, her feet still planted firmly on the floor. She did not want to get all the rain water on his bed, after all.

Abigail did not like the sound of that. "What did you do now?" she sighed in resignation, fingering the open collar of her vest as she watched the water droplets fall from her garments. Abigail had never technically asked Sam not to meddle, part of her did not want to force a shift between the relationships within the friend group. The other part of her wanted this over with so they could hopefully all move on with their lives as friends.

Sam twirled a guitar pick through the fingers of his right hand. "I told him that most people in town knows he has a crush on you," he paused to gauge her reaction, but Abigail's face remained stolid while her gazed fixed to his floorboards. "And that people also were talking about how he kept looking at Violet the other night."

The young woman wondered if that were true, "What people?" Abigail asked doubtfully.

The blond smirked. "I did not mention who in particular, but I happen to know that we talked about it," he responded mischievously.

Abigail rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder. It did not quite work because he was lying down, but she felt his bicep and his red shirt shifted up toward his shoulder from the touch. Her light azure eyes glanced over at the blond and traced the lines of his jaw. Abigail found that the angles of Sam's jawline were aesthetically pleasing to her. She remembered how soft his hair had been when he allowed her to touch it. If only -

Sam spoke again, forcibly yanking Abigail from her inner thoughts. "To be fair, though, Elliott and Leah were also discussing Sebastian's obvious… Oh, what did he call them…? Right! 'Furtive glances?' I don't know what a 'furtive' is, but Leah did not agree with whatever it meant."

Abigail's eyebrows rose. "Okay, so someone other than us actually thought there was something going on. That's interesting," she noted with a scheming smile. "But you said Leah didn't agree with Elliott? How did their opinions differ?"

The skater tapped a beat onto his thighs as he turned his head to face his friend. "Hm… It was hard to catch what they were saying, since you yanked me out of there so quickly. I think you nearly pulled my arm out of its socket." He theatrically lifted his arm and let it go limp onto the bed. "But I thought I heard Leah insist that Violet said she wasn't looking to date anytime soon."

Abigail could respect that, but she had to question the motives behind that decision. Did Violet had a bad break-up that precipitated the move to Pelican Town? Or maybe Violet is aromantic and not interested in relationships at all? That would force them to have to trash the plan altogether. "I guess there's really no point in speculating any further," Abigail reasoned. "The evidence doesn't seem to add up to Violet ending up with Sebastian's shirt, so we're obviously missing something."

Sam shrugged, "We'll find out more on Friday," he said, reminding Abigail of the scheduled rematch. "Sebastian and I might beat you ladies this time!" The skater mimed Sebastian's terrible trick shot, which got a laugh from Abigail.

"In your dreams," Abigail shot back, giving him another playful push on his supposedly dislocated arm with a wide grin. After a second time, Abigail admitted to herself that she liked how Sam's arm felt. He had a nice wiry musculature to him. Not scrawny, but more like a creature built for speed and reflexes. The woman supposed that was normal for skaters and just a nice added bonus for those who played guitar. Too late, she realized that her fingers lingered too long on the bare skin of his bicep.

"You feeling okay, Abi?" Sam inquired softly, pulling himself up slightly and propping himself up with his elbow to face her properly.

"Uh…" Abigail scrambled for a good lie. "Just feeling a bit nauseous, I think," she blurted out. "Dad made dinner again tonight and I think something in the casserole was expired." While that had not happened this particular evening, Abigail had been sick from her dad's meals before. The man could not cook his way out of a cardboard box, but she and mom made him do it at least once a week in the hopes that eventually he would get better. Abigail suspected he did badly on purpose so he would not have to do it anymore.

Sam nodded in understanding, "Oh, in that case go ahead and lie down," he ordered gently. The blond got up from the bed and pulled the blanket over her. "I'll go get something for you to drink. Ginger ale is supposed to be good, right?" Before she could answer, Sam had already darted out of his room into the kitchen.

Abigail cursed at herself, trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this situation. Nausea did not typically disappear that quickly, especially from possible food poisoning. "Dammit," she muttered under her breath. Why couldn't she have chosen something cleaner?

As quickly as he vanished, Sam re-entered the room and sat on the bed beside Abigail. He offered her the soft drink and asked if it would help to turn off the lights. "Uh, sure," she responded and the blond got up to do as she requested. The room darkened and Abigail sigh in relief. This way he would not any signs that she was not actually all that ill. A rustling noise came from the side of the bed.

"I got a – uh – trash can here if you need to hurl," Sam's voice informed her, somewhat uncomfortably. There was some shuffling in the room and as her eyes adjusted. Abigail saw that even in the dark, Sam managed to find his guitar. He leaned against the side of the bed while sitting on the floor and began playing quietly. Normally when he played, it was loud and invigorated, just like him. Abigail had never heard such a soft, soothing tune from a guitar. It sounded vaguely familiar…

Before she could figure out how to best explain away her sudden recovery, the young woman drifted off to sleep to the sounds of the rain harmonizing with the relaxing melody Sam strummed. There was a light snoring sound coming from behind him when the blond finally finished his piece. "Heh," Sam chuckled to himself. "Music does soothe the savage beast." He pulled a sleeping bag and a spare pillow from underneath his bed and lay them out. He set an alarm to wake up early enough to get Abigail home before his mom would check in on him to let him know breakfast was ready. The steady sound of Abigail's snoring was oddly comforting. As the blond closed his eyes, he smiled, "Night, Abi."


	15. Breakthrough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet gets a dog. The farmer and Leah discuss art and nature. Abigail sneaks out of Sam's room. Maru experiences an unpleasant breakthrough.

**Breakthrough**

Violet did not have any harvesting to do that morning, but she had a large plot going and tending to all the crops with just a watering can took time and effort. To make sure she would be on time to meet up with Leah for their edible plants hike, Violet got ready quickly. She did not want to show up in all the same clothes she wore yesterday, especially because she slept in the soft shirt she borrowed from Maru. So she decided to swap it out for another she had brought with her. It was brown with little owlets on it and probably would not look out of place if she got a little dirty foraging today. Grabbing a field snack and her grandfather's straw hat, Violet headed out the door.

She nearly crashed into Marnie, who held her hand in mid-air, as if she had been about to knock on the door. From her experience thus far, Violet knew that most visitors came to see her first thing in the morning. It was something to which she was still not quite adjusted. In the city, most people did not disturb each other until at least 10:00 AM when they came by for a social call. The two women blinked at each other in surprise for a moment. Then, Violet noticed the large dog sitting on its haunches next to the rancher. The farmer's IQ instantly dropped. "Oh, hewo, doggie!" she cooed, squatting down to pet what appeared to be a German Shepherd or some mix thereof.

Marnie chuckled, "Hello, Violet," she greeted the farmer. Violet realized she had been rude by not addressing the human before the animal, but she quickly corrected her behavior. "Morning, Marnie! How are you today?"

The older woman beamed, "I'm having a fine morning, but..." she gestured to the dog, who barked playfully at her. "You see this dog here?" The animal wagged his fluffy tail at the mention of his being. "I found it sitting outside the entrance to your farm! I think it's a stray… poor thing."

"Oh, no." Violet shifted to kneel down and give the dog a good scratch behind the ears, and his back leg thumped against the floorboards of the porch. "What a good boy!" Violet praised the dog. "How could someone not want a good boy like you?" she asked the fluffy dog rhetorically. Marnie could not help but smile at someone showing so much affection for an animal. It confirmed her impression that Violet was a fine young lady and an excellent addition to their little town.

"Hey," Marnie said, "it seems to like this place! Hey, um…" the woman seemed unsure of how to broach the topic she wanted as her gaze drifted to a nearby tree. "Don't you think this farm could use a good dog?" the rancher ventured to say.

The farmer's dark eyes lit up. "Are you serious?" Violet exclaimed in disbelief. "I'd love to keep him!" she practically flopped onto the big dog and draped her arms around his neck gently while nuzzling his thick fur. "Good boy, Bruno. You're my good boy." The dog's tongue hung out of his mouth as he wagged his tail enthusiastically.

Marnie wondered to herself how long Violet had wanted a dog and was simply unable to have a pet. Clearly long enough, since the young lady already picked out a name. The rancher gave the dog a pat on the head and smiled, "Well, Bruno… You be a good pooch now… okay?"

The German Shepherd barked and sat up straighter, nearly freeing himself from Violet's arms. Marnie took that as answer and gave Bruno a last little wave before dismissing herself and heading back to her home to open the shop for the day. Violet on the other hand, was ecstatic. She had never had a mammal of her own before. Sure, she had a goldfish when she was a kid, but you cannot cuddle a creature that needs to be immersed in water to breathe.

"You wanna help me water the crops, boy?" she asked the big dog excitedly, picking up her watering can and heading toward the pond. Bruno immediately took his cue from Violet's happy tone and galumphed ahead of her toward the water. The dog had no fear of getting himself or people wet, so he dove into the water and splashed Violet, but she did not mind. The German Shepherd lapped up some water at his feet then bound off in the direction of the pine grove, presumably to chase a rabbit or squirrel. "You're definitely full of energy, aren't you?" Violet asked the dog with a giggle as he whizzed by her.

Violet determined that Bruno was more interested in chasing the local wildlife that lived on the farm than in keeping her company. She was okay with that, as long as Bruno knew that this was his home now. The farmer finished watering her crops and thought about materials she would need to care for Bruno. She recalled seeing an old dog dish somewhere. _Now where was it?_

"Ah, there you are!" she declared as she turned the corner of her house and spied the bowl along the back fence. Using the watering can, she filled it with water. Violet would have to get some dog food somewhere, or make sure to supply him with protein to eat. Though she realized that Bruno did not look starved, so perhaps he did well on his own just hunting. She quietly prayed that he would not present her with a bloodied chipmunk or baby bunny like her aunt's cat used to do. It was traumatizing to her as a child. Either way, she had meet up with Leah shortly, so she could not worry about that now.

Violet bent her knees slightly and rested her hands on them as she addressed her new pet. "Do you want to come meet Leah or do you want to stay here, boy?" she pet along the length of his spine a few times and snapped a picture to send to Rebecca before he bounded off after a particularly fat squirrel. "I guess you wanna stay here," Violet determined. She made sure the door to the house was slightly ajar so that her new companion could get inside if he so desired. She then wished Bruno the best of luck with his hunting and headed south toward the Cindersap Forest to see Leah.

* * *

The day was relatively cool and a relaxing breeze blew through the trees. The emerald green roof and wooden structure complemented the scenery surrounding the cottage. As they had discussed the previous night, Violet knocked on the door three times before entering. It was a quaint little cottage both inside and out. The interior offered glimpses of Leah's artistic preferences and expression – both from the turquoise wallpaper and the painting hung above her bookshelf and bed. To her left, there was a winding wooden sculpture on which the artist was currently working. "Oh, hi Violet!" Leah beckoned her inside. "Come in, come in!"

The ginger gestured to the looped piece of wood in front of her. "I'm just working on this sculpture here," she explained to the farmer. "Come here. Watch this," Leah raised her hammer up level with her head and struck the chisel, shaving off a piece of the sculpture. "See that?" she pointed to a new grain of wood exposed by the most recently removed sliver. "I'm revealing the essence of the wood." She struck the chisel again, carefully removing another shard of wood. Leah paused, examining her work carefully with her grey eyes. The sculptor moved to the other side of the piece and began to chip away on a particularly rough patch. "Once you get past the outer layers, the true nature starts to show…" Leah told her, as if she were teaching a class.

Violet thought about those words for a moment. "It's the same with people," she began. "We don't really get to know who they really are until we peel back all the protective rough exterior. After that, things can get kind of sappy."

"…What?" The artist seemed caught up on Violet's terrible pun, but then her brain processed what had been said prior. "Oh! Yeah, that's absolutely right!" The artists had not considered it a metaphor like that before, but the parallels were present.

Violet personally did not quite get what Leah meant by the 'essence of the wood.' To her, wood often looked best with the bark still on it. Removing that bark made the wood look so… naked. The farmer said as much to her friend. "I think there's lots of beauty to be found in raw, untouched nature!" Leah agreed. "But as a human, I'm also interested in how we shape and interpret the world around us…" The red-head paused, as if she was trying to choose her words carefully. "I guess what I'm saying is that I'm interested in 'art.'"

The farmer tried her best, but the concept of art overall seemed entirely esoteric. Sure, it was a way to express oneself, but Violet could hardly see the 'essence' of the sculpture in front of them. Clearly Leah had talent, but the newcomer was not sure they shared the same vision when it can to art. Carving beautiful, raw wood into a swirl did not seem like the quintessential aspect of the tree. Either way, Violet wanted to be supportive. There were a lot of times when she did not understand her artsy companions in the past, but that never lessened their friendship.

"I first visited this valley as a little girl, while on vacation with my parents," Leah shared with Violet. "I knew I had to come back some day…" She brushed her fingertips across the surface of her sculpture, searching for any rough patches. "This place has great artistic potential!"

Violet agreed, and shared that it was her visits to her grandfather's farm that made her want to return. Of course, having the deed to the property did not hurt in the decision-making process. Leah nodded, then hesitatingly added, "Although, I have to admit… It's not easy to pay the bills as an artist."

The farmer heard this kind of news from many of her old friends from high school who went the artistic route in life. Unfortunately, society as a whole did not pay the people who entertain its people well upfront. "Why don't you have an art show in town?" Violet suggested. "I've been to lots of different art festivals before, it's fun to walk around and see what everyone made to display."

"Hmmm… interesting," Leah said, considering the idea. "I guess that could set the wheels in motion to make Pelican Town a true art destination…" she admitted. The ginger lightly pulled on her braid, "But what if no one likes my sculptures? I'd be crushed." She frowned, looking doubtful. "I'm just one person, and Pelican Town does not have that many residents. Even if everyone bought a sculpture, that income would not last forever."

The new farmer considered this. "Well, typically at these kinds of things multiple artists band together for the show. I'm not saying you have to do that, but it should help bring people in from out of town," Violet told the sculptor. "I'll ask Bex when she comes to visit. She's participated in events like those before."

"…I'll have to think about it," Leah finally said, ending the conversation. Violet nodded in understanding. It was difficult to put your artwork out into the world and have it be rejected. Even the fear of that reality held back countless talented people. The red-head started to gather some small items, such as a pair of plant shears in a satchel, "Well, thanks for stopping by my cottage first, Violet. Let's get going on that foraging hike, shall we?"

* * *

Soft light filtered in through the windows of the room, slowly inching its way toward the face of a sleeping Abigail. A small puddle had formed on the pillow where drool had trickled out of her mouth over the course of the night. The gentle tap from Sam's hand made her stir, "Hey, Abi…" Sam whispered, shaking her softly. "It's time to get up. Are you feeling okay?"

Abigail's mouth, which had been hanging open all night, felt so dry when she awoke that she could not speak properly. She motioned for Sam to hand her the now-flat ginger ale he had brought her the night before. Realizing the problem, the blond quickly gave the glass to his friend and she gulped it down in down fluid motion. "Oh, man," she gasped, "thanks for that."

It took a few moments before Abigail realized where she was and what must have happened. She flung the sheets off of her, and swung her legs to get out of the bed in a panic. "Oh, SH-" Sam's hand covered her mouth and he held up a finger to his lips.

"It's Vincent's birthday," Sam informed his friend, being mindful to keep his voice down. "And he's going to get up any minute to go jump on mom's bed to wake her for his special breakfast," he explained quietly. "Then my little bro is going to come charging in here to get me up so we can spend the day together. Now, we can't have anyone walking in to discover I had a girl sleep over last night, even if they know you and everything was completely innocent." He let his hand fall from Abigail's face as she nodded in understanding.

"So what's the plan?" Abigail asked urgently. She tilted her head toward the window. "Should I go back out the way I came?"

"That's gonna look questionable if anyone happens to see you," Sam responded, opening the curtain slightly to peek outside. While he did not see anyone walking by at the moment, he knew it would be just their luck. "I think it's best to wait for Vince to go to mom's room and then have you leave out the front door. He winked at Abigail with a dorky smile, "No sketchy behavior, no scandal. Right, Abi?"

Abigail did her best to hide how flustered she felt. The young woman had not intended to stay the night, especially sleeping in Sam's bed. If she got back into the house through her own window, her parents would probably be none the wiser. Her light blue eyes scanned the floor and she realized that Sam had slept on the floor next to her in a sleeping bag. Part of her was relieved he behaved so gentlemanly and another part felt guilty that he gave up his bed over a white lie to cover up why she had felt up his arm. The final part of her felt disappointed Abigail realized - and that was even more terrifying to her. "So when can I duck out of here?" she inquired.

Sam glanced at his phone and ventured a guess. "I say give it another… 30 seconds."

Sure enough, the sounds of Vincent's small, high voice rang out clearly, "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" he shouted, unable to contain his delight. Vincent's galumphing gait could be heard as he sped past the doorway of Sam's room and down the hallway to wake up his mother. "Mom, mom, mom!" The noise immediately became muffled once the child entered Jodi's room.

Sam chuckled to himself and opened his bedroom door, "And that's our cue," he said, gesturing to Abigail to follow him. She obeyed, exiting the bedroom as silently as she could with Sam right behind her. The blond pried the front door open carefully.

Abigail walked through the doorway and lingered on the cobblestone path just beyond. "Thanks for…" she searched for the right words to articulate her intended meaning, "… taking care of me. And I appreciate your patience respecting personal boundaries." The young woman tucked her amethyst bangs behind her ear. "I just don't want to ruin the relationships in our friend group."

Sam nodded knowingly, "No worries," he assured her with a quick thumbs-up. "Now go home before you get in trouble for being out all night in the company of a handsome dude." Abigail scoffed and rolled her eyes, but she knew that her dad would kill her if he found out she snuck out of the house and slept over with Sam - accidentally or otherwise.

"Later, loser," she teased the blond. Abigail dashed into the alley between Sam's house and the one next door to avoid being seen out this early. Sam leaned on the door frame with his forearm and watched her go. He hoped someday Abigail would not want to leave his room the next morning. But that was up to her, Sam acknowledged. The skater was not going to force his feelings on his friend and hurt his best friend in the process. Even though it was Abigail's idea, he genuinely hoped Sebastian's feelings would sway toward the new girl in town, rather than forcing a fracture in between the three musketeers. He ran his fingers up through his hair as he pined over Abigail, but Sam knew he would have to wait and see how things turned out.

Straightening his stance, Sam knew he had a mission today. Vincent had demanded they spend the whole day together for his birthday and this big brother was not about to disappoint. He hope everyone else would follow through on his plans for the surprise party. Only one way to guarantee that...

***Today's the day, everyone! Don't forget to meet in the square at 6:00 PM***

* * *

Sebastian awoke much earlier than he wanted because he failed to silence his phone the night before. He pawed at the air trying to locate the offending device until he felt the smooth screen of his phone. Growling, the young man brought it to his face to read what was so damn urgent. "Right," he sighed, rubbing his face. Sam was trying to put together a surprise party for his little brother and he was invited. What gift did you even give a kid Vincent's age, anyway?

Knowing that he would have less time to work today, Sebastian grudgingly got out of bed. _It wouldn't be so bad if I got any natural light in this damn hole_ , he thought to himself. _Even prisoners get at least one window._ Maru and his mom always seemed annoyed that he would sleep in so late, but what did it matter? He had nowhere to go, after all.

Demetrius got on his case the most, though. Whether it was sleeping in, 'playing' on his computer all day, smoking, or reading comics, his step-father seemed to hate everything about him. The comments Demetrius made it quite clear that he thought Sebastian was a bad influence on his precious daughter. There was no point in trying to please someone who hated you. The raven-haired young man still could not understand what his mom saw in her husband, but she seemed happy enough. It bothered him how happy Robin could be while he was so miserable, but maybe that was just the way things were meant to be for him.

Sebastian sighed, recognizing that he was not in a good head space to work right now. He glanced at the carton of cigarettes on the nearby table. It was difficult not to use nicotine to address his depressive symptoms, but it was so damn easy compared to actually dealing with this shit. Vincent's party was going to be during his normal smoke break this evening, Sebastian reasoned to himself. And it was not as if he smoked as often as he once did. He got a lot of mom guilt from Robin asking why her baby wanted to cut his life short. Demetrius' condescending talk about adult responsibility and how his actions affected the entire family almost negated his mother's words, but he eventually gave in after Sam and Abigail gave him a nudge on the matter, too.

Grumbling, he snatched up the pack and went outside. Sebastian did not want so his mom to see him from the front window, so her rounded the corner to the patio that his half-sister claimed with her telescope during the summer months. Maru already had the biggest bedroom in the house above ground. Why the hell did she even need to claim another part of the house for a huge chunk of the year? The young man shook his head in annoyance as he lit up. Just one smoke and then he would get to work.

* * *

Maru lie awake in bed when she heard the front door open and a shuffling out on the patio outside her room. That was odd. Normally no one left the house first thing in the morning. Curiosity got the better of her, so she got dressed quickly and cracked the door open in her room that led straight to the patio. Sebastian jumped slightly, but quickly corrected himself when he realized who was peeking out at him. "What are you doing out here?" Maru asked her brother.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and lifted his cigarette, held loosely between his fingers, to his mouth. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"I can see that," Maru acknowledged, joining him outside and shutting the door behind her. "I meant more generally. You usually aren't awake yet."

The night owl took another drag of his cigarette. "Neither are you, on your days off from the clinic," Sebastian shot back. He glanced at her suspiciously. "What do you want?"

Maru could hear the hostility in his tone, but made an effort not to do the same. "I just want to talk to my brother," she replied. "You seem upset and I'd like to help, if I can."

"You are the literally the person least qualified to help me," Sebastian snapped, "except for maybe Demetrius," he contended. "Just go away." The young man exhaled the smoke from his lungs. Maru could appreciate that even if he was clearly angry at her for something, he still had the courtesy to blow downwind of her.

"Well, clearly you were in a bad mood before I came out here," Maru observed, "so it was not _just_ me. What's going on, Sebastian?"

Her older brother sighed in exasperation and lowered his arms from his chest. "You already have the rest of the house, why do you have to bother me when I try to get some alone time outside?"

Maru felt a bit hurt by Sebastian's accusation. "I wanted to know what was bothering you," she insisted. "Not add to it. And what do you mean I have the rest of the house? You have your own room, too." The scientist could tell she was getting a bit flustered, but at this point she could not stop it.

"Yeah, the dark hole in the ground with no windows while the rest of the family lives on the floor above me like I don't exist," he hissed. "Not to mention the rest of the house is basically just your lab and the kitchen. When we're all forced to eat together, my place in the corner is hardest to get to and gives me no out to leave if I want to avoid your sickeningly perfect family."

Maru closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as her brother took another puff. The younger sister tried her best to recall what Violet had said about listening to her brother's words regarding what made him feel left out of the family. "So you think we're perfect without you and have banished you into a dark hole under the house?" she summarized.

"Those are the facts," Sebastian nodded, tossing the butt of his cigarette on the ground and stomping it out with his foot. He then picked it up to dispose of it in the trashcan in his room. Otherwise he knew he would hear about it from his mom or Demetrius about littering in front of the house. The man wanted to avoid his step-father's critiques as much as possible. The fewer interactions, the better. He was still feeling terrible, though, so he lit up another to replace it.

"What can I do to make you feel more included?" Maru finally asked when it seemed Sebastian calmed down slightly.

He gave her an incredulous look, "What do you want from me, really?" Sebastian demanded. "You want a medal from your mom and dad for trying to be chummy with your failure half-brother?"

"I don't consider you a failure or a _half_ brother," Maru stated firmly. "Your my brother, Sebastian. We are family and I wish you would just tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

Sebastian's lips thinned as his mouth stretched into a grimace. "You can't _fix_ me like one of your little gadgets, Maru," he bellowed, forgetting about his cigarettes as they fell from his hands, now balled into fists at his side. "I'm not a robot, or a lab specimen you can poke and prod at until you figure out what makes it tick. Mom and Demetrius _clearly_ favor you. I'm just the discarded rough draft they tossed away." He lowered his head, "You don't need to rub it in or try to get me to like you. I get it. I understand my place, so leave me alone!"

He stormed off inside, slamming the front door of the house behind him. Maru heard her father and Sebastian have brief confrontation in the hallway, which resulted in another slamming door. Most likely the one to Sebastian's room. Maru picked up the discarded cigarettes, one still smoldering slightly. She snuffed it out. Demetrius opened the front door of the house and called out to her. "Maru? Is everything okay?"

Maru rounded the corner to face her father, hiding the discarded cigarettes behind her back. "Don't worry about it, Dad," she assured him. "I said something... insensitive to Sebastian," Maru explained, "please don't blame him."

Demetrius looked dubious at Maru's excuse, but patted her shoulder with a broad smile, "I know I can always count on you to be the bigger person, Maru."

Hearing those words brought to mind Sebastian's accusation that her father favored her. If the underlying tone of her father's statement actually meant what she suspected, she realized her brother might have a point. "What's that supposed to mean, dad?"

The scientist seemed puzzled, "Exactly as I said, Maru. I can count on you to be the bigger person."

The young woman shook her head, "No, dad, that's not what I mean." Maru tried to find the right words to effectively communicate with her father, "Why do you think I'm being the 'bigger person.' That suggests that Sebastian did something wrong and I'm being more mature about it. I told you that's not what happened."

Demetrius scratched his head, "I'm sure you have your reasons for covering for him," he said, clearly proud of his daughter. "You're a good girl, Maru."

"Stop that!" Maru shouted, balling her fists and stomping on the dirt in frustration. "You're not listening to what I'm telling you." Demetrius appeared genuinely shocked at her outburst. What was she doing? Maru inhaled deeply and released a calming breath. "Dad, I'm not covering for Sebastian." Making eye-contact with her father, she made her point: "Before I even approached Sebastian I could see from his body language that he was not in a good mood. I kept pestering him despite his asking me to leave him alone, so he left. I did not respect his wishes, so he has every right to express his anger and frustration."

Demetrius gazed at his daughter stone-faced, so she could not tell whether or not she was getting through to him. "And while maybe he should not have been so loud," she said, trying to put herself in her brother's shoes, "it was probably the only way he felt he could get his point across." She paused and shoved the cigarette butts into her pocket so he would not see them. "Now, when he came inside, I'll bet you jumped to the conclusion that he was somehow in the wrong, even though you had no idea what happened and he yelled back. Am I correct?"

Her father glanced off to the side, clearly uncomfortable with all the staring. "He should not slam doors," Demetrius stated. "Or yell at his father."

Maru's heart sank. So this was it. Her first real glimpse of the chasm between Sebastian and the rest of the family. It was right there in front of her the entire time and she had never bothered to examine the enormous fissure in the foundation of their household. "I suggest you apologize," Maru demanded in the most insisting tone she could muster.

"I see no point," Demetrius sighed. "Your brother is so lost, Maru. But I know you won't give in to his bad influence." He looked at her with such contentment that it killed Maru a little inside. "You'll do your mother and I proud enough for the both of you."

"UGH!" Maru screamed. "When it comes to people - you can be so _DUMB!_ I don't know how mom can stand it sometimes!" She stormed off around the corner of the house to use the patio door of her room and slammed it behind her.

Demetrius frowned, puzzled by Maru's reaction. "What did I say?" he wondered out loud.

"All the wrong things, I imagine..." a voice came from behind him. The man turned to find his wife in the front doorway of their house." Robin approached him and gave him a hug from behind. "I only heard that last outburst, so I don't know what that was about, but I think you might need to do a little personal research, dear."

Demetrius wriggled free from the back hug and turned to hold her in his arms. "I suppose I do," he sighed. "I've got work to do first, though. We have bills to pay, after all." He gave Robin a peck on the cheek and headed inside toward the lab. The red-headed woman imagined Maru would not be assisting her father today as she usually did.

Robin decided to leave the shop unsupervised for a moment and check on her daughter. She rapped the door gently, "Maru, sweetie? May I come in?"


	16. Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Sebastian have a talk. Vincent and Sam visit Violet's farm. Alex and Violet bond over dogs. Vincent gets a surprise birthday party. Several misunderstandings occur because people don't communicate!

**Misunderstandings**

Sebastian heard the gentle tapping of his mother's knuckles on his bedroom door. "Sebby, can we talk?"

The young man was still worked up from his conversation with Maru and his confrontation with Demetrius in the hallway shortly after. He really did not want another unnecessary lecture from his mother right now. But while he and his mother had their disagreements and Sebastian felt like she nagged him all the time, he knew deep down that she was trying to understand in her own way. Sebastian sighed, "Sure, come on in," he told her.

Robin opened the door and took a seat on his bed as her son continued to work on his computer. "Maru told me what you two talked about earlier this morning," she began. Sebastian felt himself tense, ready for a speech of some sort. The red-head sighed. "And from the... numerous examples she could recall when she sat down to think about it, I think your sister may be on to something."

Her son paused and glanced over at Robin hesitantly. "... What do you mean?" he inquired carefully. While his mother's words sounded promising, he did not want to let himself get too hopeful.

"Sebby, I -" her voice cracked just a little and Sebastian could tell that his mother was holding back tears, even in the dim light from his computer screen. "I'm so sorry. I never intended to make you feel so alone and left out. I want you to know that your dad, sister, and I all love you and we want you to feel like a part of the family." Normally, Sebastian would have corrected her with the addition of "step" to father and sister, but he recognized that his mother was struggling with something beyond what happened this morning.

The red-head was not able to keep her emotions at bay for long, however, and tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. "I know I nag you. And I know it's not fair to say it, but the way you are now - these self-destructive behaviors like isolating and smoking - is a lot like how your father started to behave when things really went south between us. And I don't want to make the same mistake and lose someone I love again."

Sebastian looked down at the floor, uncomfortable at the mention of his father. Part of him was angry at his mother for the comparison to that deadbeat, but the other half was saddened that she thought he was going down the same path as the man who hurt her so much. He balled his fists in his lap. "Mom, I'm not him," the young man insisted. "I'll never be the same as that asshole. He _left_ us."

"Sweetheart," Robin shuddered and smiled weakly, trying to wipe the salty tears from her face with her sleeve. "I know I don't talk about your father and maybe that's part of the problem..." Sebastian offered his mother a tissue. She accepted it gratefully and blew her nose. "I know in the end he left, but I had also lied to him." The ginger paused, furrowing her eyebrows before stating: "Relationships can be very... complicated."

"What could you have possibly done that negates the fact that he abandoned us?" Sebastian asked skeptically. "I know things were rough for a while when I was a kid, but you got us through it. No matter what happened, you were actually _there_..." he stole a quick glance at his mother's face. "At least I know you give a damn. You didn't leave me, Mom."

Robin burst into a fresh set of tears at the comment. "Oh, Sebby. You're such a sweet boy," she cried. Sebastian's mother reached out to ruffle his hair and it made him feel like a vulnerable child again yet anxious that something was seriously wrong. What was his mom not telling him?

"Just - just tell me, Mom," Sebastian insisted, feeling tears of his own welling up in his eyes at the sight of Robin crying. He clenched his jaw trying to keep the dam from breaking. Sebastian hated crying. The young man just wanted answers about his father. Part of him needed to know what his mother had to say.

The ginger nodded, "I promise I will," Robin vowed, squeezing his hand tightly in hers. "I swear I will, just - not today. Please," Robin pled with him. "I need to think it over how to best tell you so that I'm being fair to everyone involved."

Sebastian felt the frustration welling up inside him. He was being made to wait again, but the dark-haired man noticed his mom was at a breaking point. While he had obviously received most of his physical features from his mysterious father, no one could argue he had his mother's eyes. It was like looking in a mirror when she cried and now he, too, felt the hot tears leak onto his face. "Fine," he finally conceded, breaking their eye contact. "But it has to be this year, okay?"

His mother nodded gratefully and smiled. "Of course, Sebby." She lifted a hand and rested it on Sebastian's cheek, wiping his tears gently with her thumb. "You've been through a lot, too. Even after we became a blended family." This part surprised Sebastian.

The young man knew it would ruin the tender moment, but the frustration boiled inside of him. "So you knew how Demetrius treated me differently and you didn't do anything about it?" he demanded.

Robin looked down guiltily and knitted her fingers together as she spoke. "I thought you were not taking it as personally as I know know you do," she confessed. "And I _hoped_ that you two would just get closer over time and all of those walls would just come down. But it never happened." The woman bit her lip anxiously, "I would always talk to Demetrius afterward in private, but I should have intervened _during_ those arguments. To let you know you had someone in your corner..."

"You're damn right," Sebastian snapped, his jaw clenching tightly. "From where I stand, everyone in this house agrees with Demetrius about my 'bad influence' on this family. I'm just the trash that no one's bothered to take out."

"Please, stop doing that to yourself. I can't - " her voice caught in her throat. Robin stood up, stifling a sob. "I'm so sorry, son..." she fled the room, retreating up the stairs as quickly as she could.

Sebastian sank down further and leaned back in his chair, resting the back of his hand against his forehead to hide his face. "Good job, Seb," he told himself. "Way to fuck it all up again."

* * *

Violet and Leah spent the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon foraging. Violet was surprised how many things in the forest were technically edible, however, she could not confidently say she would actually eat all the ones Leah showed her. While they were technically edible, Violet could not picture herself eating what she considered weeds her whole life. Especially her new-found nemesis: nettle.

When Leah pointed them out, the farmer had over-enthusiastically tried to gather the nettles to eat later. However, she did so without the proper protection and got the venom on her hand. Her friend took out a pair of gloves and yanked the offending plant out of the ground. The ginger explained all the ways to use the roots, leaves, and stems and their benefits, but Violet had to admit she had been turned off entirely by the small rash developing on her skin. Leah warned her not to scratch it and advised the use of a cold compress when she got home to reduce the swelling, but it was nearly impossible to not think about how much it itched.

Leah eventually dismissed herself to do some sketching of a few of the wild plants further south in the forest, rather than her normal sketches near the forest lake. Violet thanked the artist for the hike together and all the information about the edible plants in the area. At the very least she now knew which plants to avoid. While the reason for the nature walk had been a farce, overall the information and the time with Leah were definitely worth it.

When she arrived back home, Violet found some unexpected visitors. Bruno, who was already quite settled in his new home of only a few hours, was barking and chasing a delighted Vincent around the clearing near her house. "Hello!" she called out to them from a distance. "What brings you two here?"

Sam gave Violet a slightly guilty look. "It's Vincent's birthday and I told him he could do whatever he wanted today." He tilted his head toward his little brother, who was trying to teach Bruno to fetch a large stick. The dog much preferred herding the small boy to the new game, however. Vincent was both delighted by the dog's attention and puzzled that Bruno was not inclined to chase everything he threw for the dog. "The little guy would not take 'no' for an answer when I told him we can't just drop in without an invite. Once he found the dog, there was no fighting him on it anymore."

Violet nodded understandingly. "I've got a few old friends with kids his age. They don't know about social graces or how to be polite yet. It's fine." The old D&D group did not see each other often, but most of them were either in committed relationships or married with kids already. It made her feel odd, but she knew she was not ready for either just yet. "Besides, Bruno seems to be enjoying himself," she observed, as the panting dog loped alongside the boy.

"So how long have you and Bruno been a dynamic duo?" Sam asked, trying to start conversation.

The farmer laughed, "Far less time than he and Vincent," she told the skater. "Marnie brought him by this morning and asked if I could take him in." Violet could not help but coo at the adorable interactions between Bruno and Vincent. "Besides, who can say 'no' to a cute face like that?" Sam chuckled in agreement.

"I warn you, Vincent may try to steal him at this rate," Sam informed the farmer. "But mom will never let it happen, so he'll always bring him back." After a moment of pause, Sam spoke up again. "Hey, I know this is super last-minute, but we're having a little party for Vincent in the square at 6:00 today, if you want to join." He leaned in closer toward Violet, "It's a surprise, though, so don't tell him."

The farmer smirked conspiratorially. "Got'cha," she said, giving him a quick thumbs up. Violet felt a low rumbling in her stomach and turned her body, hoping Sam had not overheard. "Hey, are either of you two hungry? I've still got a few snacks from the city if you're interested."

The blond's brown eyes lit up, "Let's see what you've got!" Violet realized quickly that an easy way to make friends with Sam would be to offer food. She noticed it worked well with both extroverts and introverts, assuming you had the right spread and their preferred level of social contact. Sam called Vincent over, who reluctantly joined them inside until Bruno followed his new friend into the house as well. Violet quickly tidied up a bit as they entered, trying to hide the most embarrassing bits of her wardrobe since she lacked a proper place to store it all. Bex was going to bring some of her old furniture in her father's pickup truck when she came to visit in a few weeks.

Vincent and Bruno immediately leapt onto the bed, much to Sam's mortification. "Hey, little dude," he tried to reason with his brother. "You can't go jumping on people's beds without asking." The blond tried to catch Vincent, but between the dog and the child's squirming, the effort proved unsuccessful. At least Vincent had the mind to take off his muddy shoes before stepping inside. The farmer assured Sam that there was nothing to worry about. If that old bed broke now, it would not be because of Vincent's rough-housing.

As Violet went rummaging through her unpacked boxes to find the right assortment of snacks to offer, Sam noticed the clothes that Violet had laid out on a nearby chair. "Hey, cool shirt," Sam said. He recognized it as Sebastian's, but did not want to say so. "Where did you get it?"

Violet looked slightly embarrassed. "It's actually not mine. Maru let me borrow it because she needed some pollen samples off of one of my shirts for something she's working on." If it were a lie, it was an odd one. Sam wondered what Maru had up her sleeve. "I picked it out because it was at the bottom of her drawer and I figured that meant she does not wear it as much," the farmer told the skater. "But what really sold me on it was the material. It's so soft!"

Sam gestured, indicating his curiosity and Violet told him by all means. The blond's fingers brushed against the fabric of the shirt, "Oh, dude. No kidding!" Not only would it be comfortable to wear, it practically begged the wearer to ask others to touch its magnificent softness, too. It was like the male equivalent of a dress with pockets. Sam made a note to ask Sebastian where he got it another time. For now, however, Sam decided to let whatever Maru had planned run its course. Perhaps he and Abigail could join forces with Maru for Operation: Crab Cake.

Much to his delight, Violet had a few of his favorites among her snacks from the big city. He took a bite of his favorite chip, "I missed you, buddy," he sighed wistfully as he hugged the crinkly plastic bag to his chest. "It's been too long."

The farmer laughed and offered to let him take the rest of the bag home. Vincent poked at the snacks until he found something with the highest sugar content and then tore into them. Luckily, Violet did not mind. She brought several bags of the stuff with her and was getting a bit sick of them at this rate. "So Vincent, Sam says you two are spending the day together for your birthday. Do you have any other plans for the day?"

Vincent beamed at the mention of his birthday, "Yeah!" he exclaimed, "Sam is going to take me to the park and help me break the world record for highest swing!"

Sam played along. "Is that so?" he asked with an inquisitive look. "In that case, should we head out, Vincent?"

"Yeah, let's do it!" The little boy hopped off the bed and landed on the floor with less than graceful thud, but he seemed uninjured. Bruno barked and wagged his tail, circling Vincent as he got his shoes back on his feet.

"Well, Bruno is already doing a great job with the herding," Violet joked. It got a smirk from Sam as well. "Maybe we can use him to wrangle Vincent every once and a while." Violet offered them each a tall glass of water before they left, just to make sure they stayed hydrated.

Sam bent down and rested his hands on his knees to get to his little brother's eye-level. "We're going to have to do some serious swinging to break the world record, Vincent." The child nodded seriously and gave the blond a salute. "Sir, yes, sir!"

Sam shrugged apologetically, "Dad's in the army..." he explained. "I swear I don't act like a drill sergeant." Violet waved it off as no big deal. Before the two boys went back outside to check out the park, Sam stuck a small piece of paper into Violet's hand. It was a phone number. "Those are my digits in case you need something or have any questions about you-know-what tonight," he told her with a wink and a friendly smile.

Before Violet could say anything, Sam was already chasing after an eager Vincent toward town. While Violet thought that Sam was a little flirty, it all seemed like a harmless aspect of his personality. She took out her phone and added Sam's number. The farmer found herself surprised that she had not thought to get anyone else's number up until this point. Sure, the neighbors were all within walking distance, but it never hurt. Violet decided she would ask for everyone's numbers this evening at Vincent's surprise party.

"Oh, shoot," the newcomer said. "What should I bring as a gift?" She texted Sam ***What does Vincent want for his birthday?***

***A dog! XD***

***Don't worry about it. You just moved here. We've got the presents and food all covered, just show up and have some fun!***

"Well, that doesn't fly with me," she muttered under her breath. She looked down at Bruno, who gazed up at her expectantly. "What?" she asked her new dog. After some consideration, Violet decided it would be best to make sure she had everything she needed to care for Bruno. "I know Marnie said you're probably okay, but I suppose we could see if Pierre has any dog food or treats." Whether or not Bruno understood, he leapt up and tried to lick her face, nearly toppling her. "Okay, okay, okay!" she surrendered, "Let's go, boy!" Violet realized a bit too late that the town might have laws requiring dogs to be on-leash, but she hoped that if that were the case, she might get a free pass just this once until she had the proper equipment. The German Shepherd was well ahead of her, perhaps after the scent of his favorite child. "Wait up, Bruno!" she panted, running after him.

* * *

Harvey stood in the shade of his favorite tree in the small park west of his clinic, enjoying the beautiful day. The pest bugs were not yet particularly active yet this time of year and unlike a few of the villagers, the doctor did not suffer from the seasonal allergies that would make a fine day like this one unbearable. Spring was not a great time of year for business, however. Harvey wondered how he was going to make ends meet in the coming months going into Summer. Amidst his pondering, the brunet though he heard barking. The only dog in town of which he knew was Alex's dog, Dusty, who was kept penned in front of the Mullner residence.

A brown blur ran along the fence toward town and shortly afterward, the new farmer in hot pursuit. "Bruno, stop!" she begged the dog. Harvey could not help but chuckle at the sight. It had been so long since anything remotely amusing like this happened. The mustached man considered following to assist, but he heard the barking of another dog, most likely Dusty, which indicated to the doctor that the farmer's dog was like stopped in front of the dog pen at this point, meeting a new friend. Harvey was tempted to head that way just as an excuse to pet the dogs, but he did not want to intrude. He sighed longingly. Maybe he should get a pet...

* * *

Violet finally caught up to Bruno right next to a small, fenced enclosure. This time, there appeared to be a dog inside, barking excitedly back at Bruno and pacing along the fence. The local jock, Alex, was trying to calm the two dogs. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, keeping Bruno at bay from barreling over the fence by his collar.

"I'm so sorry!" Violet apologized, grabbing Bruno's collar from him to restrain the German Shepherd. "I don't have a leash for him yet and I didn't know he would just bolt like that."

Alex's grimace quickly changed to a smirk when he saw how much difficulty the farmer had trying to keep her dog under control. "No big deal for a strong guy like me," he assured the young woman, patting his own dog on the head. "Dusty is surprisingly sturdy for an old guy."

Dusty was a darker brown than Bruno, and while he had tall ears as well, they flopped over about half-way up, which suggested he might be some kind of hound mix. Either way, he was precious. "Do you mind if they say 'hello?'" Violet asked hopefully.

Alex adjusted the collar of his letter jacket and nodded, "Sure, Dusty could use some social time." The jock reached down into the dog pen and hoisted his dog from it, wrapping his arms around Dusty's middle and keeping hold of his fur on his chest. "Say, 'hi,' buddy."

Violet was pleasantly surprised how well the two dogs got on, despite the obvious age difference. Bruno was clearly a young dog brimming with puppy-like energy, while Dusty was a senior dog. The two sniffed at each other, tails wagging furiously, and their tongues hanging out one side. It looked like the dogs were smiling at each other. Bruno did a play bow and Dusty returned the gesture, though a bit more slowly. The younger of the two ran circles around the other, but the dogs seemed to be having fun either way.

A small smile crept onto Alex's face. "There you go, buddy," he praised his dog. Violet wondered if she had misjudged Alex. Sure, he was a jock and she was not into sports, but someone clearly so kind to his dog could not be that bad.

"So do you and Dusty train together?" Violet asked, verbally ribbing the jock.

Alex leaned on the fence post, his abs clearly visible through his t-shirt. The farmer thought this was intentional, but she ignored the posturing. "Dusty used to be the best wide receiver around," the young man reminisced. His voice dropped to a solemn tone, "But he's getting up there in years and can't keep up like he could before."

The farmer noticed the shift in tone and felt a bit sorry for him. While she never had a pet capable of displaying affection, she imagined it was hard for Alex to see Dusty losing his mobility while Alex was still young and vital. He looked up at the two dogs playing, "It's good to see Dusty get a spring in his step, though. I hate having to keep him penned up most of the day, but he can't just roam around town and Gramps is allergic so he can't come inside."

"Gramps?" Violet inquired. "Oh, I don't think I've met him. Does he live in town?"

The spiky-haired brunet looked confused, "Of course he does. I live with my grandparents." His face twisted in a scowl, "Are you making fun of me?"

Violet panicked, "No! Of course not, I legitimately didn't know!" she insisted, raising her hands in front of her and waving them frantically. The last thing she wanted to do was offend her new neighbors.

Alex gave a satisfied smirk at the farmer's reaction. "Alright, alright, new girl. I believe you." He straightened up and called to Dusty for dinner. "I should feed him before I go in to eat with my grandparents." He looked her over again, making Violet feel like he was evaluating her in some manner, and added, "You should come by and meet them if you're going to be living here, farmer."

The young woman figured Bruno would be okay out here for just a few minutes while she popped in to introduce herself. "Sure. I can pop in for just a minute," Violet agreed as she followed Alex into his home.

* * *

Everything was coming together for the party as planned. Jodi baked Vincent's favorite pink cake, Caroline made a nice casserole, and Marnie - who said she was feeling ill - sent Shane to accompany Jas to the party with a salad. Gus lent them some tables and chairs to use in the main square, which Abigail volunteered to set up while Emily, Maru, and Penny all decorated the area for the occasion.

Sam was still occupying Vincent, and awaiting the signal from their mother that everything was ready for the big reveal. Jodi looked around at their guests and tried to determine if anyone was missing. Sebastian was still not here yet, but there was time some time before six. "Does everyone know where to hide?" Jodi asked the party-goers. There was a general murmur of agreement in response and Jodi sat down for the first time since her youngest son awoke her this morning. While she was satisfied that things were going smoothly, she was also suspicious that something terrible would happen to ruin it all. Her plans never worked out this well. She texted her oldest son to let him know everything was ready and to arrive on time.

The tired mother came to regret that immediately, however. Jodi's heart sank when she heard barking, and sure enough, a large German Shepherd came barreling through the square and heading straight for the party set-up. The poor rabbit the dog pursued saw the crowd of people and veered off to the south into a bush to avoid them and luckily for Jodi, so did the dog. The bush's branches were too thick for the dog to continue the hunt for his prey, but he insisted on barking at the escaped rabbit and tried to bring someone - anyone - over to the bush to inspect his captive. Jas, who was a bit scared of the large dog in part due to its size and otherwise because it had chased a defenseless bunny, hid behind Caroline's leg.

Shane, seeing his goddaughter's visible discomfort, decided to intervene. "Come here, boy," he grumbled to the dog, grabbing him by the collar. The dog thought it was a game and tried to wriggle free, but surprisingly even to himself, Shane was able to maintain his grip and calm the creature down with a few good pats on the head. After a few moments, the German Shepherd settled down on his haunches, his panting giving him the appearance of a smile.

The little girl, now becoming more bold due to the dog's calm sitting, ventured closer. Shane smiled at her and encouraged Jas to come pet the dog. "It's alright, Jas. I won't let him hurt you," he assured her. "I think he's just excitable."

Jas skipped over happily and put her hand to the dog's soft, thick fur. "He's so fluffy!" she giggled, continuing to stroke the dog gently. The canine, in turn, slowly sank down to the ground and began to roll over, asking for belly rubs. Shane had to admit, despite his initial concern, this dog seemed like a pushover. It was good to see Jas smile so much. Her life had not been easy and Shane had done little to alleviate that for her. It made him feel guilty.

"Where did you come from boy?" Emily asked, approaching the trio. She leaned down to give the dog a good scratch along his spine, causing him to jiggle his hind leg to show his approval. Shane admitted he had never seen the dog, but the collar made him believe that he had to belong to someone. Jas, meanwhile, peeled the stick-on bow from her present to Vincent and stuck it on the large dog's head. "Now you're pretty like me," she informed him. The dog, more patient with kids than Shane expected, simply let the little girl do with him as she pleased.

The dog was showered with affection as the other party-goers approached. "Oh, there you are, Bruno!" a voice came from afar. It was farmer Violet. "I'm so sorry, everyone!" she apologized. "I did not think he could get into so much trouble is such little time."

Bruno, as they other villagers now knew the dog was named, bounced happily at the sight of his owner. Shane released him and the dog charged Violet, bowling her over. She laughed as the dog licked her face affectionately, "Stop!" she insisted through her laughter, though not in a particularly convincing tone. "Bruno, down boy!" With some help from Shane, Violet was able to stand on her feet and free herself from the tongue bath of her overly enthusiastic pet.

"What happened to your hand?" Shane asked as he helped her off the ground. Granny Mullner had just applied aloe and wrapped Violet's hand to help with the itching from the nettle venom before she left the Mullner house. "Oh, it's nothing," she assured the man. "I just got in a fight with a plant," she joked. "I'll bet Leah has taken that thing apart and boiled it into tea by now."

Shane was not entirely convinced, but let go of Violet's hand now that she was steady on her feet. "If you say so," he replied.

"Whose dog?" a voice came from behind. It was Sebastian, holding a poorly wrapped cylinder with a crooked bow. He wore his signature black, as usual, but Violet noticed he was carrying a backpack and something was different about his face. Were his eyes slightly bloodshot or was she just imagining things?

The Joja Mart employee looked the local nerd over and decided to move back to the group around the tables. "Glad your hand is alright," he muttered to the farmer, before going to talk to Emily.

Violet nodded gratefully and thanked Shane for helping with Bruno. "The dog is mine," she told Sebastian. "Marnie brought him by this morning and said he was a stray. Since I have the space for a dog, it kind of seemed natural I should take him." She knelt down beside her new dog and nuzzled his shoulder, "Besides, who could say 'no' to this cutie?"

Sebastian felt his face flush slightly, but did his best to think about other things to avoid getting so flustered by how cute the newcomer looked with such a wide, genuine smile on her face. He was slightly jealous of the dog, who looked up at him with a smile just as wide as the farmer's. But only slightly. Sebastian had never had a pet, but he heard good things about having them. Unconditional love, companionship, something in the universe that needed you. It sounded nice, he admitted to himself silently.

"You going somewhere?" Violet asked him, indicating the backpack. Sebastian shook his head, "Just to Sam's house after this to spend the night," she informed her. Avoiding eye contact, he added, "I need some time out of the house."

Before Violet could asked any follow-up questions, Jodi called for everyone's attention, stating that Sam was on his way and for everyone to find their hiding spots. Violet, who had not thought of where to hide at all, froze. "Shit, where should I go?" she thought out loud, frantically. Sebastian rolled his eyes and tugged on her shirt sleeve, indicating she should follow. Violet obey and the two hid behind one of the nearby raised garden beds that Evelyn maintained. Bruno followed, but whined at being asked to sit still when there were so many people scattering, as he was bred to bring creatures together as a herd.

"Quiet boy," Violet insisted, gently putting a hand on the dog's muzzle. Bruno seemed to receive at least the sentiment of the message and lay down, though he waggled with excitement. Sebastian did his best to not be distracted being in such close proximity to the farmer. Her hair lightly caressed his cheek unintentionally and he blushed at the closeness of their bodies, even if she was not looking at him. It was safer that she was focused on the dog, anyway.

Vincent, who could be heard coming from a mile away, approached the square with his older brother. "Sam, look!" the little boy instructed, "Balloons!" he exclaimed with excitement. Bruno could no longer contain himself and jolted toward the boy. Violet, trying to stop him, left her hiding spot and Sebastian, trying to stop her from ruining the surprise, tried to grab her.

It was too late, however. The large dog's gait was too quick and Bruno was halfway to Vincent by the time Violet dove toward him to grab his collar. Vincent's large, dark eyes glittered in awe as he focused on the giant bow stuck to the dog galumphing toward him. "BRUNO IS MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT?!" he squealed with delight.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone else shouted, jumping out from their hiding spots. "Happy birthday, Vincent!" The rest of the party-goers looked amused at the misunderstanding. All but Jodi. Her eyes looked like that of a mother defeated and Violet realized that the confusion was going to break Vincent's heart. The farmer tried to signal to Jodi that she would handle it and while Jodi seemed unsure, her eyes pled with the young woman to gently break it to Vincent.

Violet come up to Vincent and squatted down to his height. "Now there are some rules about this," the farmer explained, trying to look very serious. "Having a dog is a big responsibility."

Vincent hopped up and down, "I know I can handle it, Miss Violet!" he assured her. "I know I can."

The pastel-haired woman smiled warmly at the child, "And I believe that you can, but we have some to go over some orders. Do you think you can follow them?" Vincent nodded empathically. "Number one!" Violet announced, holding up her index finger, "Bruno is a big boy who needs lots of space, so he'll be staying at the farm with me until you grow up some and have a place of your own big enough for him, okay?"

Vincent pouted and crossed his arms, "That's not fair!" the boy whined. Violet looked as apologetic as she could.

"Vincent, don't you want what's best for Bruno?" she asked him. "This is a big adult decision, I know, but I think you're mature enough to handle it. Right little man?" She mussed his hair. From the corner of her eye, Violet could see the relief on Jodi's face. The woman had enough on her plate being a single parent while her husband was away overseas. "Besides," Violet added, "as long as your mom says it's okay, you can come by to play with Bruno any time you want, okay?" Violet flashed a warm smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm counting on you to teach him some cool tricks."

"Number two!" Violet continued, "No trying to bring him into your house without your mom's permission, okay? I know you two are going to get messy in the mud at some point and it would not be fair to your mom to get it all over. And finally, rule number three: always stay with Bruno unless he goes somewhere dangerous you can't follow. He will keep you safe if you're with him, but don't try to follow him anywhere you feel unsafe, capisce?

The small boy laughed at the funny word but seemed to find this agreement acceptable. Vincent went off with Jas and Bruno to play, laughing giddily at the sight of the party - all for him. "You handled that pretty well," Sebastian told the farmer. "I wouldn't have thought of that."

"I couldn't break his heart on his birthday," Violet moaned pitifully. "Can you imagine what a monster Vincent would think I am?" Sebastian shrugged, "Suit yourself." The young man went off to add his present to the table and find Sam. Violet found Abigail and tried to drum up a conversation. The two were talking about a video game that was frustrating the amethyst-haired woman when Violet noticed something different. "Did you decide not to wear your choker today?" she asked. While Abigail had every right to change things up with her look, Violet had noticed that most people in town seemed to have a basic uniform of sorts. A signature outfit, perhaps?

Abigail felt her neck and realized that her choker was in fact missing, "Oh, that's funny," she though aloud. "It must have fallen off somewhere."

"Do you want me to help you look for it?" Violet offered. Abigail shook her head and told the farmer that it would likely turn up somewhere - probably somewhere in her house, if she had to guess.

The rest of the party went smoothly. After Vincent opened presents, everyone ate dinner, and then indulged in cake and ice cream. Bruno had thoroughly worn out both himself and the children with all their running around. Shortly after dessert, the party guests began to disperse for the evening. Violet offered to stay and help, but Sam and Sebastian assured her they had it handled. "Besides, I think Bruno needs some R&R after all the work he put in today," Sam laughed, tilting his head toward the exhausted dog lying at her feet. Violet groaned, "Oh, shoot!" she practically spat. "I forgot to go to Pierre's to get dog food," she said, angry at herself and guilty for not properly caring for her new pet.

Abigail, overhearing this, interjected, "My dad's store isn't open on Wednesdays, Violet," she informed the farmer. "But I can let you in so we can make a quick transaction," she said with a wink. "Just don't tell my dad I made a sale or he'll want me to take over the family business someday."

Violet promised and the two women went off to get Bruno his food.

* * *

It did not take long for the young men to finish putting away all the party supplies, since many people had taken what they brought with them. It was dark when Sebastian tossed his bag on the floor of Sam's room and the two collapsed from exhaustion. Sam, from the physical effort of keeping Vincent occupied all day, and Sebastian from the emotionally draining morning with his family and being forced to be more social than he would normally at Vincent's birthday party. "Do you think Vincent enjoyed the party?" Sam asked his best friend.

Sebastian shrugged, "Your little brother always seems happy," he told the blond. But, after some consideration, he continued, "But you're a good older brother, Sam. He probably had a great birthday."

Sam smiled and flopped back onto his bed, causing something small and black to slide down the blanket onto the floor. Discreetly, Sebastian picked it up to examine it. It was a strip of black ribbon with a clasp on either end to finish the loop, though one of the clasps appeared to be loose. Sebastian's dark eyes glanced toward Sam, who was busy tinkering with his Game Boy, so he looked at the ribbon more closely. He could swear he had seen it before...

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. It was Abigail's choker. The one she wore around her neck. Thinking back, Sebastian remembered that she had not worn it at the party today. Why was it on Sam's bed? Unless... The young man's heart sank. Why would Abigail keep this a secret from him? And Sam! His best friend knew how he felt about Abigail. How could they do this to him? Sebastian was already running on emotional empty after this morning. An unwieldy swarm of emotions welled up inside him. The dark-haired man did not know what to do, but he knew he had to leave. Tucking the ribbon in his pocket, he stood up and grabbed his bag, surprising Sam.

"Where are you going, fam?" the blond asked, putting his game down to give his friend his full attention.

"I don't think I want to hang out tonight after all," Sebastian merely said. "I'm not feeling well." Without another word, Sebastian closed the bedroom door behind him and left the house. He did not know where to go, but he could not stick around.


	17. The Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Abigail get into a fight. Violet has a brush with something she cannot explain. Sebastian encounters something frightening.

This was not the way Sebastian had expected the situation to go down at all. He could feel the deep pit in his stomach sinking further and further down. The young man thought he was going to explode from rage and be swallowed up by a hole in the group from sheer mortification at the same time. Sebastian did not know what to do with such strong, partially conflicting emotions raging in him.

On the one hand, he acknowledged that he had no actual claim over Abigail. She was a person with her own thoughts, feelings, and desires and if she did not want to be with him, Sebastian knew that he would have to learn to accept that. He just thought it would be on his own terms whenever he finally got the guts to ask her out.

Then finding Abigail's choker, such an intimate accessory falling out of Sam's bed, meant that their relationship was more serious than friendship. The fact that she and Sam were dating and did not even bother to tell him, that's what pissed Sebastian off the most. How long had this been happening? Did they think he would not find out? Sam knew about his feelings for Abigail and he went behind his back. Why would they betray his trust like that? Why couldn't they just be upfront and talk to him about it?

Sebastian's negative thoughts spiraled as he began to question everything about his friendships with Sam and Abigail. Would they even continue to be friends with him now that they did not have to keep up the facade? He knew the truth now. Now, Sebastian would just be a third wheel.

Before he knew it, Sebastian found himself in his rainy day spot on the pier. He threw down his bag and sat, staring at the ocean, almost daring it to send a wave to swallow him up so he would not have to deal with these damn emotions. But the sea did not call his bluff and instead a gentle breeze sailed up from the salty water and caressed his cheek, as if trying to soothe him. He sighed, though no one would have been able to distinguish it from sounds of the sea.

* * *

While Pierre's store did not have dog food in stock, Abigail assured Violet that she would get her dad to order some from their supplier and it would arrive in a few days. In the meantime, Abigail sold a bit of meat to the farmer to feed Bruno. The two completed the transaction and Violet was on her way home. "Now don't get used to eating fresh meat all the time," Violet told her dog, trying to sound as authoritative as possible. "It's fine to enjoy good food, but I can tell you would just eat it whole without really savoring the taste if I let you," she teased her pet. Bruno simply smiled at her, his lips pulled back to his ears.

His nose sniffed at the paper bag, which contained a large chicken thigh and he barked gently to request his meal. "I know, I know." She would probably have to use the fireplace to roast it to a suitable temperature to eat. While technically dogs could eat raw meat, Violet did not want to risk it. And as big a fuss as the German Shepherd made, Violet saw both Vincent and Jas slip their dinner under the table so that Bruno would eat it so they could go straight for cake and ice cream.

A faint buzzing could be heard, coming from her backpack and Violet realized it was her phone. Wanting to avoid any potential problems like she had caused over the weekend, she quickly reached into her bag to retrieve it. It was a group text from Sam to her and another number that Violet did not recognize.

***Hey, have either of you seen Sebastian around? He just left in a hurry for some reason.***

***No, I just finished up helping Violet with Bruno's food and went straight to my room. Do you think we need to go looking for him?***

So the mystery number must be Abigail. Violet scanned the area, trying to see if she could find Sebastian for the blond. While she could not make out the details, from the square the farmer thought she saw a dark figure heading south toward the beach.

 ***I think I see him, but I'm not sure. He might be heading toward the beach,*** Violet informed the others. ***Is something wrong?***

Sam's response seemed just as confused as anyone. ***I don't know, we were sitting around in my room and he suddenly just got up and left. He was supposed to crash at my place since he needed some distance from his family.***

Violet sighed. So Sebastian probably had an argument with a family member and wanted to stay at Sam's till things blew over. But then why would he leave Sam's place so suddenly? She knew it was none of her business, but the farmer wondered if her new friend was okay.

 ***Should I go after him?*** Abigail asked Sam in the group text.

There was a pause, ***I'm not sure. Maybe he'll talk to you.*** Sam responded. Since it seemed that Abigail was going to handle it, Violet decided to make her way home. She was not sure what was going on, but hopefully it would all be resolved come tomorrow.

* * *

"Hey, Sebastian," a voice called out, ripping the young man away from the trance of the ocean waves. It was Abigail. "Sam said you just up and left. He was worried about you. What's going on?" He cringed visibly and did not turn to face her. Instead, he pulled the ebony ribbon necklace from his pocket and held it up for her to see. "Oh, hey, you found my choker," Abigail said appreciatively. "Thanks!"

"When were you two going to tell me you're a couple?" he asked, his voice sounding both frustrated and defeated. "It would have made all this a lot less painful for me if you just came out and said so."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Abigail demanded, thrown off by the sudden and baseless accusation. "Who do you think I'm with?"

"I found your necklace on Sam's _bed_." Sebastian emphasized the last word to make his point and tossed it her way. The wind carried it a bit further than intended and the ribbon blew right into Abigail's face. Wordlessly, she pulled it away and held it in her fist.

"That's it?" the young woman said, trying to keep her annoyance at bay. That was all it took to get Sebastian in such a foul mood? "Nothing happened," Abigail insisted. "We were just hanging out."

"You don't have to lie to me," Sebastian spat back. "I don't need you and Sam to treat me with kid gloves just because my family life sucks."

Abigail's brows furrowed, "I told you nothing happened!" she repeated with a scowl. "Why do you insist on making a big deal out of it?! And do you honestly think yours is the only family situation that sucks in this town?! Get _over_ yourself!"

Sebastian finally turned to face her, "Oh, so you and Sam just sat there and your necklace just spontaneously came off?"

"Who knows why it broke? Maybe that exactly what happened. It's old!" the amethyst-haired woman shouted back. "The point is we didn't do anything, and for some reason you refuse to believe the truth," Abigail shot back. "Which is really messed up because we're friends and Sam and I have always been there for you."

Abigail could see Sebastian's anger dissipating as he processed her words. "I didn't realize you two were so close you would want to hang out without me..." the man finally said, his dark eyes avoiding her light blue ones. His body language deflated and the fists at his side loosened. "If not because you're dating, then why?"

The young woman shrugged, "There's no rule that says everyone in a friend group has to get together all at once. You're more introverted than Sam and me." Abigail continued, "Not to mention you've made it very clear lately that you don't want to be bothered while you work. I don't get what keeps you so busy all day on the computer, but it seems important to you and you get grumpy with me when I swing by." Abigail exhaled sharply and shrugged with exasperation, "Which is weird, because I thought you liked me. But now I can see that you don't even trust me to tell you the truth, so I guess it's a good thing the feelings aren't mutual. You can't base a relationship off of nothing."

Sebastian froze and he felt a lump form in his throat. "You knew? But you..." he could not finish the sentence on his own. Fuck. This was turning out to be such a shitty day. How did this all get fucked up so damn badly?

Abigail paused, realizing what she had done in her own frustration with the situation. "It's... pretty obvious," she admitted, tugging at the bottom of her denim jacket in discomfort. "And yeah, sorry, I don't feel the same way." She hesitated, trying to find the right words, "We're friends and I like our relationship the way that it is - Or the way it was before this whole drama of yours." She gestured at Sebastian as a whole, "You say that you don't want to be treated with kid gloves, but you're throwing a fit over literally nothing."

"If you knew about my feelings, you could have just told me you weren't interested," Sebastian grumbled, his hand reaching for the hood of his jacket.

That set Abigail off. "I don't have to take responsibility for _your_ feelings, Sebastian. Don't point the finger at me! You could have said anything at anytime and I would have let you know the truth." Her purple hair thrashed in the wind, like the arms of an angry octopus, "And I thought that by waiting for you to confess, you would have braced yourself for rejection at that point. But it's been years, Sebastian. You can't expect me to stay single my whole life just to spare your feelings."

Abigail's words stung like knives. "Well, thanks for making it known how much you hate me," Sebastian said dejectedly, sliding down to sit on the boards of the dock and flipping his hood up over his head.

The young woman stomped furiously on the creaky old boards beneath her, causing a cracking sound to ring out. She ignored it, though the board was definitely weak beneath her foot now. She shifted her weight and continued. "That's all you got from everything I just said? You're not listening to what I have to say and how I feel at all," Abigail screamed, her face flushed crimson and her eyes filled with tears. "You infuriating asshole!" With that last insult, she stormed off, not allowing Sebastian another word in his willfully ignorant pity party. She had enough.

Sebastian watched her go, feeling a tinge of regret for putting his foot in his mouth once again. When she finally faded into the distance, all he could think to do was turn to stare out at the waves again. The dejected man closed his eyes to listen to the sound of their crashing along the shore and he felt the damp spray of the waves on his face. Sebastian sighed and breathed in the salty air. "I'm an idiot..." he groaned, his head sinking to his knees.

* * *

Much to her delight, the farmer found that Robin had already finished the trundle bed and had dropped it off while Violet was out. The raising mechanism worked well and the entire thing rolled smoothly under her own bed. Robin had even attached little latches to the original bed so that the two could be linked, a mattress, and spare sheets. Overall, Violet was happy with her purchase. This would be perfect for when Rebecca arrived the weekend after next.

Once she got everything put away, Violet found and cleaned one of the fire pokers to pierce through the chicken thigh and use it as a roasting stick. It took a while, but the meat finally got to a point in which the young woman decided any bacteria or harmful microbes in the meat would be dead, so it was safe for Bruno. Peeling the chicken off the bone, she fed it to Bruno in large slivers. The large dog gobbled the chicken happily, licking his lips between each bite. When they finished, Bruno settled down by the fireplace and fell asleep.

Violet, who was not quite ready for bed yet, changed into her pajamas and dug through her moving boxes to find something to read. She unearthed a book her dad gave her and opened it to the first page. The spine cracked just a little, as only new books do and she smiled in satisfaction. After she read the first several chapters, another text arrived in the group chat. ***I fucked up. My necklace must have fallen off in your room last night and he found it. He won't listen to reason, so we had a huge fight.***

The ellipses indicating that someone was typing lingered for longer than the young woman anticipated. Then a panicked ***WRONG GROUP, SORRY. Please ignore!*** The farmer began to question what exactly happened, but part of her acknowledged that it was none of her business. ***Is he still at the beach?*** she asked, flopping onto her bed to lie down for a while.

No answer. After about twenty minutes of tossing and turning trying to get comfortable, the guilt of Sebastian potentially sleeping out on the beach without any shelter bothered her enough to rouse her from bed. "I'm just going to check and make sure he's okay," she told a sleeping Bruno. The creature was so dead asleep that he did not even twitch when she opened the door to leave the house.

Violet decided to go the route through the town square, so she would have a lighted path for most of the way. She walked more slowly, careful of her footsteps until she reached a spot where the lamp posts gave her more confidence in her footing. The night was relatively still, save for a few insects making their nightly noises. There was a slight breeze coming off the sea, blowing northward toward the mountains. It was soothing. Violet could see why Sebastian might flee to the beach, if he felt he had no where else to go.

There were no lights on the sandy shore, except for the faint glow from the windows of both Elliott and Willy's homes and the one lamp post on the east end of the docks. Violet used her cell phone to aid her search for Sebastian and she finally found him at the end of the long western pier. The young man heard her footsteps approaching."Go away, Abigail," he practically begged, gripping the edge of the dock with such force that his knuckles actually appeared white. "I'm sorry I'm such an asshole. I wasn't thinking and I couldn't get out of that stupid downward spiral to really stop and think."

When the sound of Violet's footsteps continued to get closer, he sighed, "Look, you made your feelings crystal clear, okay?" Violet heard the shaking in his voice. "It'll be weird for a while, but I think we can keep our relationship the way it's been without the ominous cloud of potential fallout. So... can we still be friends, or did I fuck that up too badly by being such a dick?"

Violet's heart went out to him. He sounded so defeated. She was not the person Sebastian expected to be behind him and did not want to startle him. "Do you mind if I sit?" she said in a voice hardly above a whisper.

Sebastian turned to look at her, surprised to hear anyone other than Abigail's voice. He bowed his head and hid his face, ashamed that someone else heard the words meant for the woman who had rejected his feelings. "I want to be alone right now," he told her, trying to shoo the farmer away.

The farmer nodded, understandingly. "Okay," she said, acknowledging his words. "And I will respect that," she sat down so he could better hear her over the oncoming waves of the dark ocean beyond. "But I heard that you and your family aren't getting along right now and that you were supposed to stay at Sam's but something happened. I just wanted you to know that if you would rather not be out here on the beach all night, you're welcome to crash at my place." She marveled at the serendipity at her forethought for the upcoming week fit the situation so well, "I have a spare bed and we can push it all the way to the other side of the room if that makes you feel most comfortable."

Sebastian did not say a word, or even react to Violet. He simply lifted his head to rest on his knees as he stared out at the dark horizon. The farmer gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat, and she rose from the dock. "I'm going to go back home now, but the door isn't locked if you change your mind," she told him. Then Violet added, "But it would make me feel better if you came back with me. I would feel badly leaving you out here all night, so you would be doing me a favor." She hoped the latter phrase would help him get over the matter of pride, but she could only hope.

As Violet retreated back toward the shore along the pier, the boards squeaked ominously. She hated old wooden structures, like bridges, docks, and lookout towers. They were susceptible to all sorts of weather damage, rot, and pest insects. Not to mention the splinters. Gingerly, Violet took a few more steps despite the groaning of the dock. Nothing. _Why do you always worry about silly things like that?_ she thought to herself.

The young woman had already reached the town square when she heard footsteps behind her. Violet did not turn around immediately because she suspected it was Sebastian. Sure enough, a few moments later, the footsteps fell in line with hers and a shadowy figure stood beside her. From the corner of her eye, the person did not take on a solid shape. Something was off, so she turned to face her mysterious companion. As soon as she turned her head, however, there was no one there.

"Oh, hell, no," Violet hissed under her breath and picking up some speed. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" It may have been her eyes playing tricks on her with the shadow, but phantom footsteps were not an everyday occurrence. The female farmer made a mad dash to get as far away as she could from the potential danger. In doing so, Violet got home much more quickly than she expected. Bruno jumped to his feet as she came crashing through the front door. The dog barked, alarmed, but soon realized that the intruder was his owner. He approached her, whining in concern, and wagging his tail reassuringly.

"Good boy," Violet told her dog, stroking his fur. She was not exactly sure what had been following her, or if it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but Violet was grateful that Marnie brought Bruno to her. This was the first time that Violet felt unsafe in Pelican Town and having a big fluffy dog made her feel more secure in her own home. After about half an hour of sitting on the floor, hugging and petting Bruno, Violet finally decided she had calmed down enough to go to change into her pajamas and go to sleep. It did not seem like Sebastian was coming by after all, but she got the bed ready just in case and rolled it to the opposite side of the room.

Bruno, being especially protective of his human because she came home in such a distressed state, slept at the foot of her bed. Violet never had a dog sleep in a bed with her, but she quickly discovered it was comforting to have Bruno in such close contact. He yawned, and rested his head on her foot to settle down for the rest of the evening. "Good night, Bruno. Sweet dreams."

* * *

Sebastian heard Violet's footsteps slowly grow faint on the dock behind him. It was the second time a woman left him there that night, though for completely different reasons. He sighed heavily. Knowing that Abigail did not return his feelings hurt, and while he had been angry at first, her words rang true. Annoyingly true. No one made him wait so long to say anything, and from what Sam had said earlier that week, most people in town knew anyway. There was nothing to gain from waiting.

It was just... fear on his end. He had been afraid that Abigail would not want to be around him if she found out the truth. Or, even worse, she did not reject him and they dated for a while and later one of them would break the other's heart. Sebastian knew his parents did not work out, so he knew first-hand the kind of damage two people could do to one another. His mom could not even talk about his dad without crying, for fuck's sake.

Then there was the fact that he jumped to conclusions without trying to get either side of the story from the two people actually involved. He both directly and indirectly called his two best friends liars. What kind of person would do that? Sebastian knew he could be a real asshole when he got mad and took it out on the people around him. And, after tonight, he learned that while he could dish it out, being on the receiving end of that kind of anger made him want to just disappear into a hole in the ground. The dark-haired young man wondered if this is how he made Maru feel earlier that day. Well, yesterday at this point. Judging by where the moon was in the sky, it was probably past midnight.

While his body felt like it was weighed down with lead, Sebastian did not feel well mentally, either. Would he even be able to sleep if he tried? Even the ebbing waves of the tide did not seem to soothe him as they would normally. The man considered his options: he could go home, go back to Sam's, take up Violet on her offer, or sleep on the beach.

He had already told his family that he would be staying over at Sam's, so while he could technically go home and sleep in his own bed, someone - most likely his mom or Maru - would probably want to "talk" about what happened. That would be such a pain. Sam's house was probably locked for the night already and while he could knock on Sam's window, he did not want to wake the whole household on accident. Sebastian looked over to the beach, since he would never allow himself to become unconscious on this rickety old dock, and quickly realized that there was a strong possibility that he would either wake up with sand all over him or small beach creatures crawling into his clothing and sleeping bag. Not to mention that Willy or that poet guy might find him on the beach in the morning. Ugh.

But did he really want to go to Fairy Rose Farm? Sure, he and Violet had some common interests, but they were still practically strangers. What would people in town say if they found out? He did not want to ruin Violet's reputation before she got a chance to make one for herself. At least his distinction as the "local vampire who doesn't like people" was decently deserved. Not to mention Sebastian just had the closest thing to a break-up he ever had and Maru was convinced that Violet might be into him. Would this be leading her on? If something did happen in the future, he would want to make sure not to screw up so damn badly like he had with Abigail, but he did not want to be on the opposite end of the spectrum and say something before he knew for sure. Maybe it was a bad idea.

Then again, Violet respected his privacy when he said he wanted to be left alone. Not to mention the farmer did not nag him to open up about what happened or come back with her immediately. Sebastian noticed she worded it as if he would be doing her a favor by coming to stay at the farm. Clearly she listened last weekend when he said he did not like owing people favors, so Violet phrased it like she was the one imposing. The new girl was using his own words against him, dammit. Part of him thought it was nice that someone around here paid attention to what he had to say. So, maybe Maru might be on to something. Or, maybe Violet was just being nice. People tend to like others who are nice to them, so it was not a bad strategy for the newest member of the community to make friends. Would it be so bad for Sebastian to make another friend?

After further consideration, Sebastian concluded that Violet just offered him a place to sleep. It was not as if offering someone a place to crash was unheard of, and she would probably be asleep by now. He could just walk in, fall into bed, and leave before she even woke up. He would not get hermit crabs in his pants, and she would not feel feel guilty as if he had stayed out all night. An easy win-win.

Sebastian threw his bag over his shoulder and left the pier to head to the farm west of town. While it did not appear broken, he was careful to avoid the damaged board that Abigail cracked earlier just in case. The last thing he needed to finish off this day was to fall through the dock and get himself soaked. As he passed through town, he realized the lamplight seemed strangely hazy this evening, as if it were much more humid outside. The young man did not think much of it, though, as turned his attention up to look at the stars as he walked. Something about staring at them was comforting, despite knowing that their light took so long to travel to the earth that he might be looking at a star that had long since extinguished. Human life was so insignificant in comparison. Sebastian wondered if he would manage to leave some trace of his existence behind so that others would know he had been here. That he was here on this planet long enough make an impact worth remembering...

He was about to the bus stop when Sebastian noticed that the air had gone strangely still and the normal chirping of insects and nocturnal creatures had stopped. It made the tiny hairs on his arm stick up at the sudden shift in atmosphere. Sebastian kept a sharp look-out the rest of the way to the farm, but he did not see anything unusual. He was not sure if that was a relief or not.

The farmhouse was dark, but Violet left the porch light on for him. It was weird being on the receiving end of someone else's consideration, even the new girl was just trying to be friendly. As he climbed the stairs, his dark eyes scanned the area to make sure the coast was clear. While there was no longer dead silence, Sebastian did not quite feel like everything was back to normal. Then, around the corner of the house, he saw something dart behind the building. "Who's there?" the young man demanded, trying to sound as intimidating as possible without shouting. He did not want to wake Violet, but if someone was creeping outside her house, that was definitely a problem that needed to be addressed immediately.

No answer. And no sound of a retreat, either. So either the guy was waiting around the corner for an ambush or he was especially stealthy. This was one of those times in which Sebastian wished he were a wizard from Solarion Chronicles. Then again, Sam was always the melee kind of warrior and Sebastian liked to take strategic shots from a safe distance. And this was real. Gritting his teeth, the would-be wizard quietly opened the door to Violet's home and shut it behind him, careful to avoid making any noise.

He turned to find Violet fast asleep with her dog lying faithfully at the foot of her bed. He did not know if he should be relieved or frightened that Bruno did not seem to notice the possible lurker outside. With the porch light still on, Sebastian could hardly see out beyond the diameter of its glow. Sebastian saw the bed on the side of the room opposite Violet's own. It could roll. Excellent! He wheeled it over to act as a barrier in front of the door just in case. Then he grabbed his phone, his finger hovering over the "record button" in case the guy showed his face again, and extinguished the porch light.

Sebastian backed a few steps away from the door to make sure he could see both the window and the half-glass door properly. He had not realized he had been holding his breath until he glimpsed movement coming from around the corner where he first saw the intruder. He reflexively pressed "record" as a shadow glided by the window and stopped itself in front of the glass pane of the door. Sebastian broke into a cold sweat, trying to keep his mind calm. "Ye shall not pass through this threshold," he whispered shakily, reciting a protection spell from one of his home brew RPG games. "Whether oak'n, steel, or purest gold. This place is haven to those who dwell, heed my word or ye shall be fell."

The glinting eyes lingered in the window pane and despite how long the two stared at one another, Sebastian could not make out the features of a human face. _What is this thing?_ he thought to himself. All he could do was will it away, while his body froze for what seemed like hours. Finally, as soon as it came, the shadow disappeared into the night. It had not spoken or made a sound. It was simply gone. Sebastian shuttered and ended his recording, which to his surprise was only just over three minutes long. He did not dare to watch it again so soon after it had left. What if it came back?

The young man finally mustered the courage to approach the front door and noticed that a lock had been recently installed. It was probably his mother's doing, as well as the bed he had used as a barricade. Sebastian recognized it from the work he had spied the last few days in her shop. This was one of those times he was grateful for his mother's meddling. Even if Violet had not asked for a chain door guard, Robin would have made a fuss if the farmer refused. Or, she may not have even asked before adding it onto the door. Either way, it would make him feel safer. He engaged the guard and pulled the trundle bed away from the doorway. He wanted to be as far from the windows and doors as possible. That is, if his body would even let him sleep after such a scare.

Reluctantly, Sebastian removed his outwear and allowed himself to rest tucked under the sheets. His head hit the pillow as he fixed his eyes on the clear pane of the front window. He did not know how much longer he kept watch for the shadow's return, until finally his exhaustion caught up with him. Despite his best efforts to stay awake, his mortal body needed rest and he slipped off to a deep sleep. Sebastian dreamed of shadows long forgotten. The exaggerated forms that lingered longer than expected, movement in the dark when no one was present, and the one whose eyes he had known so well, once upon a time.

* * *

Through the spy glass in his tower, Rasmodius detected a faint glow around the perimeter of the new farmer's house. "Interesting..." he mused, as an animated quill scratched down a few notes on a nearby scroll. "Very interesting indeed..."


	18. Sleeping Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet finally encounters Morris. Abigail and the farmer hang out and talk about life. Sebastian will not wake up, so one member of the gang tries some fairy tale wisdom.

Violet stirred from sleep at her usual hour, and judging by the lump under the covers on the bed across the room, Sebastian had opted not to sleep on the beach last night. Part of her was glad that he felt comfortable enough to stay the night after only knowing her about a week, though the other half of her wished he had done so when she was still awake so she could have at least helped him settle in. But, perhaps he felt that would have been too awkward. Bruno yawned and sprawled his whole body across the bed. "Oh, big stretch!" she cooed, giving him a scratch behind his large ears. Once she was dressed, Violet quietly called to the German Shepherd, "C'mon boy, we have work to do."

Without thinking, the farmer opened the front door, only to have the new chain clink from the strain as it stopped the door. _Huh, Sebastian must have locked it after he came in,_ she thought to herself. Violet unlatched the guard and gestured for Bruno to head outside first. The dog grinned happily and bounded down the porch stairs to chase the first unfortunate woodland creature to cross his path.

Gathering up her hair and donning her grandfather's straw hat, Violet watered her crops and harvested her first bunches of green beans. When she finished, she added water to Bruno's bowl, rinsed the beans in the pond, and divided up which she was to keep for her own meals and which were to be sold to Pierre later that day. Over all, Violet was enjoying the quiet life as a farmer, on the patch of land where her grandparents grew old together. She thought fondly of her mother's parents and wondered how her mother turned out the way she did being raised by the two kindliest souls she had ever known. Violet looked down at her hand, and now that she was done with farm work for the day, she decided to undress the wrapping Granny Mullner put on it the night before. The small welts from the nettle venom were much better now and did not itch in such an infuriating manner anymore.

Evelyn and George seemed like such a sweet couple. Sure, George was the stereotypical cranky old man, but Violet thought that if she were confined to a wheelchair, she might be grumpy, too. The loss of mobility and the freedom that goes along with it would be difficult for her to handle. Violet did not like asking for help on her own behalf. It was definitely something she needed to work on. Then again, trusting others to help her had also gotten her into trouble in the past. But here in Pelican Town she had a new slate to work on, so maybe she could give people a fresh start, too.

For example, the farmer was pretty sure she had misjudged Alex at first. That did not mean that she was about to overlook the blatant sexism, but perhaps he would learn. He certainly had all the makings of a future reliving-the-glory-days-of-high-school middle-aged man, but when talking to him about his faithful dog, there was a shift in his demeanor. Violet thought to the conversation she and Alex had before she left the Mullner household last night. She wondered whether or not he would bring Dusty around for a play date with Bruno as she suggested. While he did not say so, the farmer thought Alex was grateful someone would allow Dusty to roam free on their property, especially on a sprawling space such as Fairy Rose Farm. "I'll bet he'd like to get out once and a while," was all Alex had said, but he had also smiled sadly. Violet pondered what he was thinking when he did so. Oh, well. She would have to wait and see.

Violet decided it would be best to let Sebastian stay in bed and get some rest. The poor guy was probably up most of the night and it would be inhospitable to wake him if he had only slept for a few hours. So, the farmer decided to head into town to run some errands for the day and check in on him again later. Violet first went to Pierre's to take care of the selling of her ripe green beans and bought a few more seeds to increase her food production for the season. After selling her own goods, Violet browsed the aisles for anything else she might need. Pierre must have assumed she left, because he immediately went to put the green beans on display with a sign boasting: "Home-grown in my garden!"

While she did not find anything to purchase that she could use properly without a kitchen, Violet did not want to let the blatant misadvertisement slide so easily. Approaching the small display box, she carefully removed the label from her precious green beans and brought it to Pierre at the front desk. "Oh, uh, hello farmer Violet," she said, clearly nervous when the plaque clattered onto the counter.

"I think you meant to put this sign on another product," Violet informed him with a wide, friendly smile. "I would hate for people to think that the owner of this fine establishment would try and take credit for the local farmer's hard work."

The brunet avoided eye contact, sliding the sign across the counter top toward him. "Ah, yes, of course. My mistake." Pierre twitched in a way that gave Violet a sense of accomplishment. She knew she did not look particularly intimidating, being below average height, but she could certainly be passive-aggressive. Perhaps Joja Corp. taught her a few valuable life skills after all.

A familiar, yet unwelcome sound suddenly raked against her eardrums. It was as if the mere thought of her former employer somehow summoned one of its employees to haunt her. "Ahem..." he cleared his throat. Before Violet turned, she knew she would see her former supervisor and his stupidly over-sized signature bow tie and retro round eye glasses. He actually thought they made him look "cool." Violet shuttered at the memory of that noise when Morris would sneak up behind her for a "productivity wellness-check." The little weasel never caught her doing anything she was not supposed to be doing, but she had been one of the more cautious ones.

"Come and get it folks..." Morris announced, "coupons for 50% off your purchase at Joja Mart!" Waving around the slips of paper, he asked, "Well? Any takers?" The farmer heard the footsteps and mutterings of other patrons going toward Morris to claim their freebie while Pierre looked aghast behind the counter.

Violet knew that at least for now, she looked completely different than the last time Morris saw her the day she quit Joja Corp. Part of her wanted to test his skills of perception, but she mostly wanted to maintain the anonymity of her new life. So, rather than turning to face Morris, she stayed at the counter, facing Pierre.

Pierre, who either did not care who heard or did not realize that Violet was still around, sighed forlornly. "But... I can't match those prices! I'd be selling at a loss!" The local grocer frowned deeply and muttered to himself about price margins.

Morris, as one who could not help but beat a man while he's down, approached the sales counter. "It must be so difficult for you... To lose your loyal customers like that." Although the former subordinate did not see, Violet could tell from the tone of Morris' voice that he was wearing that satisfied smirk that made his face so damn punch-able. "But can you blame them?" he practically purred. "Joja Corporation is clearly the superior choice. Soon the whole town will realize that." Pierre was at a loss for words and only bowed his head ashamedly.

Upon noticing that Violet was the only patron of the store that did not come to claim a coupon, Morris approached her. "How about you, miss? Surely a pretty young lady like you could find something to do with the money you would save! Maybe some new shoes, or makeup?"

The farmer rolled her eyes and the blatant sexism, "Not interested, buddy. Move along," she told him. Morris, ever the salesman, could not take the first "no" for an answer without trying to sway the potential customer.

"But surely you would enjoy the wide selection our store has to offer! Come inspect our goods for yourself and you'll see why we beat out all the rest wherever we go," he boasted, standing proudly and adjusting his spectacles. "We're going to improve this silly little town in so many ways."

Violet leaned on the counter, looking bored. "Yeah, yeah. Your company buys in bulk for an insanely great deal with which mom and pop stores can't possibly hope to compete. Then, your enormous company distributes those goods among the hundreds of stores across the Ferngill Republic. You get a wide variety for cheap, but you don't care what chemicals or ethically questionable practices go into the production-end of those produce." She waved him away, "Maybe you'll have better luck with someone who isn't the local farmer trying to feed the town organically."

"Ah, I see," he said, acknowledging that Violet was also part of the competition in town, "well in that case, may the best business win."

"Be my guest, pal," Violet challenged him, finally giving him her best interpretation of disgusted side eye. "Now fuck off." Morris bristled a bit at her language, but did not return the favor. He simply straightened his pristine black suit and briskly exited the shop.

Pierre, on the other hand, turned his head upward to look at Violet. From his body language, Violet assumed he was about to say something about his gratitude for her loyalty, but the farmer stopped him. "I didn't do it for you, Pierre. I did it for me 'cause I hate that guy and the enemy of my enemy is a friend or whatever," she informed the grocer. She jutted her chin out to indicate the sign which had taken credit for her produce, "But if I catch you taking credit for other peoples' hard work again, I won't be so nice." Violet was doing her best to maintain an intimidating demeanor after her brush with Morris, but she had to admit it was not her forte. But she softened the blow by adding, "It's not cool, okay?"

The store keeper nodded in understanding. As Violet was about to leave, she heard Abigail call out to her. "Hey, Violet!" she side-eyed her father and tilted her head toward the door into the house. "Can I talk to you about something?" The two quickly stepped into Abigail's room to chat, well away from the ears of parental figures who might want to butt into the business of the younger generation. "Sorry for not responding to your text," the amethyst-haired woman apologized. "I... needed some time to cool off after what happened, so I turned off my phone for a while."

"Are you okay?" Violet asked, wondering what in the world the argument was about. She could conjecture it was some relationship drama from the text messages and from what Sebastian said when he thought she was Abigail. Whenever unrequited feelings were involved, those sorts of situations could get especially ugly.

Abigail bobbed her head back and forth, a visual sign that she could not make a confident call as to how she felt. "There were definitely some hurtful things we said to each other," she acknowledged. "And I hope we'll be able to stay friends, but I'm not going tolerate someone getting all shitty with me because I don't return their romantic feelings." Abigail let out an exasperated huff of annoyance. "I can't think of Sebastian that way, we're too alike for me to feel like we would complement each other well and too different in other ways that make me think we would not be happy together."

"You don't have to justify anything to me," Violet explained to the agitated Abigail. "I only just moved here, after all."

The pale woman chewed the inside of her mouth, a stress-induced behavior, if Violet had to guess. Finally, Abigail said, "You're right. I just felt so attacked when Sebastian practically accused me of _sleeping_ with Sam just because he found my choker necklace on Sam's bed."

"Ah..." Violet said in understanding, as she started to put some of the pieces together. "So Sebastian likes you, but you don't like him. And Sebastian's all mad because he thinks you and Sam are an item, even though you... aren't?" she ventured to guess.

Abigail rolled her eyes, and collapsed on her bed. "Not in the slightest!" she complained. Violet was not sure if Abigail was upset that she and Sam were not together or because Sebastian made the assumption that they were when neither party was interested. "Sam and I are allowed to hang out without being a couple, and my necklace has a stupid lobster clasp that won't close all the time. I must have happened to be sitting on Sam's bed when it finally slipped off." Violet could tell this whole affair would be a ruinous to the social circle to which she had just been welcomed. If Violet wanted a solid friend group to last, this would not do! She would have to make mediate.

"I'm sure Sebastian will come around," the farmer assured her new female friend. "Hell, he thought I was you when I went to go find him on the beach last night. He gave a very heartfelt apology." She chuckled, found a stool next to Abigail's computer desk, and dragged it closer to sit down. "You should have seen his face when he realized I wasn't you, after all. Poor guy was mortified."

The grocer's daughter sat back up, looking surprised. "Oh, so you went out to find him after all?" Maybe there was still hope for Operation: Crab Cake after all.

Violet nodded, "Yeah, he didn't want to talk much once he realized it was me who came to get him. Then again, he didn't come back with me, but he must have come by in the middle of the night, since he was still in bed when I left this morning."

Abigail was happy to hear that Sebastian had made an apology, even if he had accidentally given it to the wrong woman. So perhaps their friendship would survive this mess after all. She sighed in relief. "That's good to hear," she said, nodding her head. "I was worried that this whole misunderstanding was going to ruin our friendship over nothing. Guys can be so... stubborn in stupid ways, you know?"

Her pastel-haired counterpart smiled knowingly, "I'm familiar with their kind," she chortled. Violet rested her heels on one of the bars of the stool, since her legs were too short to actually reach the ground. It was one of the annoying realities of being below average height. "So... do you think you two can forgive each other and still be friends?"

The younger woman shrugged, "All I've ever wanted was to be friends, he's the one who wanted our relationship to be something... different," Abigail stated. "So if he's cool about it, so am I." She looked over at her gerbil cage, where David ran on his wheel. "I want us all to be happy, but I think Sebastian and I would just hold each other back in the same old boring pattern." She looked over at Violet with her bright blue eyes, "You, on the other hand, are a breath of fresh air in this town. Maybe you two would be a good match."

Violet laughed nervously, trying to be a good sport at someone else in town making the suggestion. "He seems cool," Violet admitted. "He took it relatively well when I destroyed his favorite comic books series, after all. And I won't deny that I find him attractive, but the smoking is an automatic 'no' for me."

"I know it's bad for his health, but would that really be a deal breaker?" Abigail pressed on, trying to get to the bottom of this. "He's already smoking less than he was a few months ago. Sam and I finally got to him, I think. Or... maybe it meant more when I said something?" Abigail had a moment of realization as to why her words had gotten through to Sebastian more than Sam's. Ugh.

The farmer smiled sadly, "And I definitely appreciate hearing that," she admitted, "and maybe if I see that he's tapering off, because I know cutting cold-turkey can be really difficult, that's one thing. But my paternal grandparents both died pretty young because of their smoking habits and my dad has some health problems from growing up in that kind of environment. I don't want to have to worry about those kinds of things if I'm with somebody, you know?" Violet sighed heavily, "Besides, I'm not looking for a relationship so soon, anyway. I've hardly been here more than a week!"

"Fair enough, farmer," Abigail agreed getting up from her bed, turned on her game console, and sat in front of her TV. "I've been trying to beat this game for weeks and I can't even get past the first level. This game is ridiculously hard!" She frowned, "Or I'm just terrible at it." Abigail tossed a controller over to Violet, who caught it just barely. "Why don't you help me with this level? I think I might do better with your help."

The farmer did not have any other pressing matter to which she had to attend and Violet was actively trying to try new things to make friends. "I've got to warn you I'm not great at shooter games. Since this isn't first-person, I won't get motion sick, but don't get your hopes up."

"You get motion sick playing video games?" Abigail scoffed in amusement. "That's kinda sad, Violet."

The young woman nodded in agreement, "Tell me about it! Some of my guy friends used to invite me to play Halo with them because they thought it was funny. Those little assholes." Violet smirked, however, at a particular memory, "That is until I ended up vomiting on Mike. That was perfect." She blew a chef kiss to the universe. "They stopped inviting me to play first-person shooters after that."

Abigail tried to contain her laughter, but quickly decided it was pointless. "You threw up on him? Gross!" She had a fun laugh, Violet noticed. It was contagious.

Violet settled down on the floor beside Abigail. "It was his own damn fault. I wish I aimed for Kyle when it happened. He was the ring leader for the whole thing." She experimented with a few of the controls to get a feel for the game mechanics. "Well, ready when you are, player 1."

"Here they come!" Abigail announced as the pixelated foes approached. Violet shot at the one nearest her and after a few bullets, she finally got it.

 _Maybe this isn't so bad_ , she thought to herself. Violet immediately regretted that thought as the enemies began to close in from all side and in a much higher frequency than before. "Fuck! No, no, no, no, no, no!" she shrieked trying her best to flee from the attackers as she shot a barrage of bullets in her wake. Both she and Abigail lost their avatar within seconds of each other.

"We get three lives total," Abigail explained as the screen reset with a "2" listed next to the face of the cowboy avatar on the left side of the screen. "Here they come!"

The results of the second and third lives were much like the first, short-lived and with lots of cursing from both women. Despite the loss, Violet had fun. It had been a long time since she played a multi-player game with a friend. "Sorry I wasn't much help," Violet apologized.

Abigail shrugged, "No worries. At least I know I'm not the only one that sucks at this," she added teasingly. The amethyst-haired woman looked at Violet, as if she were evaluating her in some manner. "Can I ask you something personal?" she finally said hesitantly.

"Uh, sure," Violet responded, setting down the controller and turning her body to face the grocer's daughter. "What's up?"

"Am I an asshole for getting mad at Sebastian about his accusation?" Abigail wanted to know. Before Violet could say anything, the young woman raised her hand to signal there was more to it. Her azure eyes focused on the window outside. "I... I think I like Sam. I don't know my feelings for sure, but I like how I feel when we're hanging out, especially one-on-one. But... I don't want to fracture our friend group." Abigail tugged at one of the hair ties around her wrist absentmindedly and stared down at the floor boards. "My dad is completely married to his work at the General Store. It feels like my mom and I are just after-thoughts in his life most of the time..."

She sighed, "I don't want to have regrets regarding the person I spend my life with, you know?" Violet could tell that Abigail was struggling with something, not sure how to articulate what she meant. "It's like... Some times I feel like Sam is the wrong choice, too. I want to get out and see more of the world because I've been here in this town all my life but he says he likes living here. Or maybe I only like him because I only know the people in town. Maybe I'll find a good partner in the city, or in another country!"

"I guess that depends on what you believe," Violet shrugged, leaning back against the wall. Her ponytail got in the way of resting her head on the vertical surface, so she shook out her hair and put the tie on her wrist. "I, for example, hear what you're saying and wonder if you're worrying to much about 'what if' and not enough about what's right here in front of you."

Abigail furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean? There are only so many single guys in town and a whole world of them out there."

Violet shrugged, "Sure, there may very well plenty of suitable partners ten, a hundred, or even a thousand miles from here. But are you really willing to speed-date every available person in that area to find out? And how to do you know for sure if they're right for you if you can't properly get to know every single one of them?"

"I... think I see your point," Abigail admitted. "But I'm not sure it make me feel any better about it."

"Don't let anything I say stop you if you want to go out and see more of the world," Violet added, pointing directly at Abigail to emphasize her point. "Some people are happy staying on a small town their whole lives, others want to move every few years just for a change of scenery. Me? I had enough of the city life and needed somewhere to escape, at least for the time being," she admitted. Her dark blue eyes scanned the room, noticing the aquatic theme of the painted walls. "So do you like the ocean?"

The younger woman looked a little embarrassed, "When I was little, I told my mom I wanted to be a dolphin when I grew up," she confessed. "Mom really put her heart into painting the mural for me so I would feel like I was really swimming in the ocean. I just haven't had the heart to paint over it."

"Your mom painted this?" Violet asked in disbelief, getting up to inspect the work. "I could have sworn this was wallpaper!"

Abigail sighed, flopping back onto her bed. "Yeah, she did great, which is why it would be heartless of me to destroy it, even after over a decade and her constant nagging that I shouldn't be so obsessed with - oh, what does she call it? Right! The 'occult.'" She said sarcastically, rolling over to face Violet, who still sat on the floor. "The things we do for our parents, right?"

"Heh," the farmer let out, rubbing the back of her neck, "totally." Abigail could tell she might have struck a nerve with Violet. The amethyst-haired woman had to admit she did not know much about the newest member of their friend group.

The reclined woman propped her head up with her elbow on the bed. "Do you not get along with your parents, either, Violet?"

"I'm... closer to my dad than my mom," Violet told her new friend, twisting strands of her hair between her fingers. "Though that's not difficult. I'm pretty sure my parents were going to divorce until they realized that mom was pregnant. They really only delayed the inevitable with a kid neither of them wanted in the first place. They should have split long before I came along. Even Zach - my older brother - thought so." She scoffed, "I still don't understand how they ever got along enough to get married to begin with. They really bring out the worst in each other." She rested her head on her knees and smiled sadly. "At least dad feels guilty enough about his regret that he treats me well. Mom... Well, she's got her own version of 'tough love,' I guess."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Abigail said sympathetically, sitting back up, and sitting next to Violet on the floor. The grocer's daughter was not thrilled with her relationship with her parents, but at least they were all together. "Do you like... want a hug or something?"

Violet wiped her eyes with her sleeve and chuckled, "Nah, it's okay. It just caught me off-guard this time." She glanced over to her new friend beside her, "I appreciate the offer, though. You don't seem like the hugging type."

Abigail grimaced guiltily. "You caught me, newbie" she said. "I really only hug David and he hates it!" The young woman gestured to the gerbil cage, where the small creature now lapped water from the little bottle attached to his habitat. The gerbil, realizing he was being watched by someone other than his designated human, fled to the little enclosure in his cage with a squeak. "He'll get used to you, don't worry," Abigail assured Violet.

"It's okay," Violet told the gerbil's owner. "I won't be offended if he doesn't. They all have their own personalities." Truth be told, she was not a fan of keeping rodents, but she was not about to insult Abigail and her taste in pets. "I probably smell like a giant dog, anyway!"

"I've always wanted a cat, but dad is allergic," Abigail stated. "So I supposed I settled on David," she looked around like she was making sure no one was around. "But don't tell David that, okay? He'll get jealous!" She winked conspiratorially.

After promising not to discuss such matters around the gerbil, Violet realized it was getting to be late afternoon. "I better get going to check in on Bruno. He's been alone all day."

"Do you mind if I tag along in case Sebastian is still there? I want to make sure things are okay between us after our fight last night," Abigail explained. Violet agreed that might be best, but warned that if Sebastian did not want to talk, she would insist that Abigail not force the situation. "Of course," the amethyst-haired woman nodded.

Violet was glad that Abigail was willing to let her change the subject away from their parents on their way back to her place. For a while, the two young women talked about other things, like video games, their favorite TV series, and the kinds of food they liked. The farmer thought she misheard Abigail when she enjoyed eating amethyst. _No one actually eats quartz!_ Not even the new wave hippie ladies back home who charged their crystals in the full moon's light each month, saged their homes periodically, and only ate organic fruits and vegetables from a questionable farm in Vermont ever actually consumed the minerals that channeled the good energy of the universe. _She must mean grape rock candy,_ Violet thought.

Abigail told Violet about the spicy eel dish that she loved, and promised to let her know they next time Gus had it on the menu at The Stardrop Saloon so they could eat it together. Violet loved eel and a spicy version could only make it better, right? "It's a date," Abigail promised. "But you can't have any of mine!"

"Deal." As they climbed the stairs to the front door, Violet thought it only polite to knock to give Sebastian some warning that she would be entering the house. "I'm home!" the farmer announced. Bruno bounded over to greet them, but immediately dedicated his energies to Abigail, hoping to add to his collection of humans willing to give him treats. The sun was starting to sink in the sky, but Violet could still clearly see that the lump she had left in bed this morning was still there. "I... think he's still sleeping," Violet informed Abigail.

Abigail, who had been rubbing Bruno's soft ears against her cheek, looked up questioningly. "Seriously?!" she exclaimed, scandalized that Sebastian could sleep the entire day away. Even when she stayed up all night, she usually got up by three in the afternoon! The amethyst-hair woman approached the trundle bed and poked at Sebastian. "C'mon, wake up lazy buns," she ordered. "You've had plenty of sleep by now and we need to talk." But the lump under the covers did not stir, not even a little. Abigail, who was not to be deterred so easily, pulled back the covers to reveal Sebastian's sleeping form. He was sleeping on his stomach, his face slightly buried by the pillow, but not so much that he could not breath. His dark bangs covered what part of his face was not covered by the pillow as he slept.

"Ugh, quit being stubborn," Abigail insisted, shaking his arm. Again, no reaction. Not even a disgruntled complaint about the sheets being taken away. The woman slapped his shoulder a bit, trying to wake him more forcefully. "Dude, seriously, you need to wake up," she shouted in his ear.

Something was not right. No one was that deep a sleeper. Violet began to worry and tried to roll him over, though it was difficult a task than she anticipated. Sebastian was like dead weight, though once she got him on his back, she could tell he was still breathing from the rise and fall of his chest. "Well, he's alive," Violet confirmed.

Abigail scoffed in disbelief. "How can anyone sleep through all that?" She whipped out her phone. "I'm going to text Sam," she explained. "Maybe he'll know what to do."

Violet could not help but notice how serene Sebastian looked while he slept. His mouth was open a little, his lips stuck in a slight pout and his long, dark eyelashes lines his eyelids. While the sheet still covered most of his lower body and torso, her dark blue eyes traced the line of his collarbone and she blushed when she realized that she was staring. She turned away quickly, embarrassed by her inappropriate behavior. As she turned, Violet's dark eyes met Abigail's light ones and she could tell by the mischievous smirk on Abigail's face that she had been caught.

To the young woman's surprise, however, all Abigail said was, "Sam will be here soon."

* * *

Sam arrived on the scene, bursting through the door with an old boombox. "The wake-up expert is here," he announced. He blared a death metal song through the speaker and set it on the bed right next to his best friend. Despite the high decibel level, the dark-haired man lay there fast asleep.

"Well, that's weird," Sam mused, rubbing his chin. "He doesn't normally sleep through Renegade Reapers!" The blond asked for a glass of water, and slowly poured it onto Sebastian's face. Nothing. Just gentle, even breathing. Bruno, now interested in what the trio was trying to accomplish, licked the man's face, but to no avail.

"What the fuck is going on?" Abigail wondered out loud. "This is weird. It's like he's under a sleeping spell or something."

Sam thought for a moment, and rummaged around in the bed, looking for something. "Aha!" he cried, raising Sebastian's phone up toward the ceiling. "Let's see if we can find any evidence on his phone."

Abigail crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Yeah, and if you knew his pass code, that would -" she stopped mid-sentence as Sam quickly typed in the correct digits and the phone unlocked. "How?!" she demanded.

The blond merely winked at her, "I am his best friend," he replied as he scrolled through the phone. "No weird text messages, no recent voicemails or strange emails..."

"What about his camera roll?" Violet suggested hesitantly. "Maybe he took a picture of where he was that might give us a clue."

"Great idea, newbie!" Sam praised Violet, switching gears in his investigation. His eyebrows rose in surprise, "Oh, shit. There's a video from last night at 2:24 AM."

Abigail closed in on Sam and motioned Violet to do the same, "Well, let's see what it is!" she insisted, snatching the phone and holding at arm's length so they could all see.

The screen was mostly dark at first, but eventually the front of Violet's house came into focus from the pale moonlight outside. "Okay, so he was in the house..." Violet confirmed.

Sam shushed her, as what could only be Sebastian's heavy breathing grew louder. Something was at the window. A shadow gliding across the front porch. Violet felt a terror grip her, knowing that someone had been on her property in the middle of the night, staring into the home of a single woman living alone.

But... something was different. The movement seemed wrong, somehow. It was not quite human and despite the fact that people sometimes got red eye in old photos, these eyes were actively glowing. They stared through the glass portion of the door right at the camera, and the three of them could hear Sebastian panicking. Abigail covered her mouth in horror as a shaky whisper could be heard over the audio: "Ye shall not pass through this threshold. Whether oak'n, steel, or purest gold. This place is haven to those who dwell, heed my word or ye shall be fell."

The rest of the video was just the same pair of eyes gazing into the house, until finally, it slowly retreated back into the darkness of the night. The recording ended.

"What the fuck was that?!" Abigail shouted, visibly anxious as she rubbed her arms, still holding them protectively across her chest.

Sam sat there quietly for a moment, "The verse he recited..." he said quietly. "It was from one of our table top games. A spell of protection."

"You think Sebastian got that thing - whatever it was - to leave because of the spell?" Violet asked curiously. She glanced at Sebastian nervously, wondering what would have happened had he not been here last night. Would she have been the one unable to wake up? Would anyone have noticed? The idea frightened her, yet she also felt guilty that Sebastian was the one who lay unconscious in her home.

The blond shrugged, "It's possible. But if that thing somehow cast 'sleep' on Sebastian, usually a player can be shaken awake or they wake up naturally after a few minutes," he explained. They had a few run-ins with casters that could do just that, but not for such an extended period. Sam thought for a moment. "What are some other magical ways of waking people up from sleep?"

"You mean like a kiss?" Abigail huffed. "Yeah, like that's gonna work," she laughed.

Sam perked up at the idea, "Now there's an idea! One of you should kiss him to see if that works," he said with a straight face.

Abigail stopped smiling when they realized he was taking the idea seriously. "Isn't it supposed to be like 'true love's kiss' or something?" Violet interjected. "I hardly know him and Abigail literally just rejected him last night. I don't think either of us are qualified..." she reasoned.

The grocer's daughter jumped in, "Yeah, besides, you're the closest thing he has to a significant other, mister best friend who has his phone pass code," Abigail argued. The blond seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Alright," he agreed with a nonchalant shrug. "I'll give it a shot." He walked over to the bed.

Abigail's jaw dropped, "You what?" She shook her head, "I wasn't serious!" the amethyst-haired woman insisted. "I was making a point about how ridiculous the idea was!"

Sam put his hand on Abigail's shoulder, "My sexuality is not threatened by kissing my best friend to save his life," he said a very matter-of-fact tone. "In fact, it's pretty manly of me, wouldn't you say?" he said, straightening his posture and fixing his jacket.

Much to the women's surprise, Sam bent over and kissed his best friend smack on the lips right then and there. Abigail looked like she was going to implode, Violet noticed. She withheld her giggles, though, so Sam would not assume the laughter was directed at him. The blond pulled away after a few seconds, so it was little more than a peck, but much to everyone's surprise, Sebastian's eyes fluttered open to see his best friend's face hovering over him. The recently conscious man felt his lips, and his eyes grew wide as he pieced together what just occurred. "WHAT THE FUCK, SAM?!"

Sam squat beside the bed as he beamed and gave Sebastian a thumbs up, "Love you, too, fam."


	19. Crushed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian is awakened! The gang discuss the shadow and other creatures in the Valley. Sebastian and Violet hang out and discuss the future. Banter and awkwardness ensue.

Sebastian could feel something on the edge of his consciousness, but it felt so impossibly distant. His mind was blank and dark, save for the sensation that someone was calling to him. Then, a touch that felt barely more than the crawling of an ant on his skin. What could it be? He tried stumbling through the infinite blackness, feeling his way through the void, but he could not even tell if his eyes were open. Where was this place?

Then, something warm pressed against his lips. It was strange, but the touch helped guide him somehow and he saw the faintest ray of light appear on what could only be called a horizon. Despite not knowing where he was, Sebastian knew he was getting closer to whatever would get him out of this place. He could sense it. Wait! Why was the touch on his lips? Was someone… kissing him? The last thing Sebastian remembered was keeping watch on Violet's house for the shadow to return. Why would she be kissing him? It did not make any sense. Yet, he pressed on toward the light, approaching it more quickly than he thought possible.

Sebastian's eyelids slowly lifted to see golden light above him. The dark-eyed man blinked, adjusting to the late afternoon light that now seemed so blinding compared to the place he just escaped. He expected to see the beautiful young woman who lived in the house, but the person whose face smiled down at him was not Violet. It was Sam, mere inches from his face. "WHAT THE FUCK, SAM?!" he exclaimed, pushing him back for personal space and sitting up upon the bed.

"I guess this means… Sam truly loves Sebastian?" Violet thought aloud. Sebastian turned to see the resident of the house on the other side of the room, sitting on her own bed.

"Like a brother!" Sam confirmed with a smile. Sebastian, looking around realized that not only had his best friend just kissed him, but Abigail and Violet were also in the room and he was only in his underwear. His face immediately flushed crimson as he threw the sheet back over himself and leaned his back against the wall.

"Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" Sebastian demanded, attempting – and sadly failing - to retrieve his clothing without getting up from beneath the sheets.

"Well, fam," Sam said, as he began to pace the room in a detective-like manner. "We suspect that you cast a spell last night to ward off the ominous shadowy thing that was lurking outside our new friend Violet's house last night," he gestured toward the front door. "But the shadow got you in a sleeping spell before you were able to ward it off." The skater gesticulated toward his boom box and other assorted material the trio had used in their attempt to wake him. "We tried to wake you with a variety of conventional methods, until finally we resorted to well-known fairy tale lore – a kiss." The blond shrugged in good-nature, "And since I'm your best friend, the ladies voted that I would be the best fit for the usual spell parameters and I really could argue with the logic." He smirked at his friend teasingly, "You have surprisingly soft lips for someone who -"

"I was already waking up when I felt someone kissing me!" Sebastian interrupted, his face an even deeper red. It was mostly a lie, because he had been stumbling in the dark aimlessly until there was a focal point to direct his energy but the other three would never know. If only he had on his hoodie so he could retreat into the hood. "It's kind of hard to sleep through so much noise."

"Well, then you had an incredibly slow reaction time," Abigail complained, unconvinced by Sebastian's claim. "We have been trying loud music, shouting, pouring water on your face… and zilch." She scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her, "So yeah, when the kissing idea came up, we nominated the guy who hadn't recently rejected your romantic feelings and who's known you longer than a week." Sebastian avoided eye contact with his friends, but sighed in resignation. There was really no harm done, after all.

Bruno, who was not about to let himself be ignored, propped his foreleg up onto Sebastian's trundle bed and demanded to be pet with a small bark and wag of his tail. The dark-haired young man obliged, absentmindedly brushing his hand against the dog's soft fur. Sebastian began to feel more grounded as the seconds passed and after a pause, he asked, "Wait, how did you guys know about the shadow? And the protection spell?"

"We saw the video on your phone," Abigail replied, as she gazed outside at the setting sun. "It's… spooky, to say the least. I've never seen anything like it. Even Apple is really cute and friendly..."

"Apple? Sebastian inquired aloud and noticed in the corner of his eye that Abigail's words caught Violet's attention. It seemed like the girls knew something that the guys didn't. Abigail paled, "Uh, it's nothing, just a little - ugh - animal I see in the Cindersap Forest sometimes."

Violet spoke up, "So you see the Junimos, too, Abigail?" she asked in almost a whisper. It was such a relief knowing that someone else in this town might see them, too.

Abigail looked quizzical. "Junimos? What are those?"

The farmer knew she was at risk for sounding like a maniac, but Abigail's words hinted that she might have seen one, too. Not to mention that Maru had been open to the idea. And what was a small anthropomorphic apple in comparison to a shadow monster? "The forest spirits," Violet began. "They look like little apples with faces, arms, and legs."

"They're forest spirits?" Abigail responded in surprise, before she could even think of denying the fact that she had a little apple friend she liked to visit in the Secret Woods. "You mean there's more than one? And where did you hear that name?" Why did Violet know so much more about them than she did? The farmer had only been here for less than two weeks. Abigail had lived here her whole life and suddenly the new girl in town shows up and things start to change so drastically so quickly. Violet was like a catalyst for all these things that remained dormant, just under the surface.

Violet hesitated slightly, "I found some of them in the Community Center. They asked me to collect some items for them and in exchange they gave me some seeds to plant." While she had omitted a great deal from her story, it was not that far off from the truth. The farmer was not about to go talking about her experience in the wizard's tower just yet. Violet was still not entirely sure what happened that day and she had already relived the embarrassment enough.

"I only see them," Abigail admitted, feeling both excited that she could now talk about the experience openly, but also bummed that the new girl could understand them in a way she could not. Abigail had lived in Pelican Town since she was born, after all. Why could she not understand the forest spirits? "I don't understand what Apple is saying, aside from the little words like 'hi' and 'bye.'" She tugged at the bottom of her jacket, feeling a bit inadequate.

Sam interrupted, "So hold on, for some reason both of you can see forest spirits," gesturing toward the women in the room, "Sebastian can see shadow people, and meanwhile, I have seen nothing weird in town this entire time I've lived here?" he recapped. The other three nodded to confirm and Abigail wondered if the blond was doing this just to make her feel better. She had to admit, it was working a little, as petty as it might seem. "Aw, man!" the blond complained, slumping onto Sebastian's bed. "I'm the _Sokka_ of the group!"

"Sokka was clearly the best character in the Gaang, Sam," Violet consoled him earnestly. "He was well beloved and a full member of the team, despite his lack of bending powers," to finish it off, she added, "and he clearly had the best hair." The blond nodded in agreement at Violet's points and decided he was at peace with his role. "Besides," Violet continued, "we need the perspective of someone who doesn't see these things to make sure we're not acting too weirdly suspicious around the rest of the town, right? You're going to have to keep us three weirdos on track."

The skater gave the farmer a big thumbs up. "Already on the job, fam." Immediately, he leaned over toward Sebastian, handing him some clothing with a sweet smile. "Hey, Seb. You gotta put some clothes on. It's weird you've been sitting here in your underwear this whole time."

The half-dressed man grumbled, "Well, if everyone hadn't been crowded around the bed staring at me, I would have gotten dressed sooner." He glared pointedly at Sam, "Besides, the weird thing here was you deciding it was okay to kiss someone who was unconscious." Sam grimaced impishly, as he dodged a swipe of Sebastian's hand and leapt off the bed.

"Sebastian, may I see the video on your phone again?" Violet interjected. The young man opened his phone directly to the video and handed it off to her. The farmer brought it with her as she rummaged through a few unpacked boxes, presumably still left unpacked from her recent move. "What are you doing?" he asked. The farmer simply raised her hand and gestured the three of them over. Sebastian used the distraction to quickly dress himself while the others were looking the other way.

"I thought the shadow looked kind of familiar…" Violet began, as Sam and Abigail looked over her shoulder at the papers she held in her hand. They were old sketches, clearly that of a child, but similar to the shadow that Sebastian saw. The drawn figure was more rounded and short, but most kids drew more simply than they would as adults. "I saw one once as a kid, here on the farm," she reminisced, chuckling to herself nervously. "My parents told me it was all a part of my imagination, but..." she looked up as Sebastian, who had just finished pulling on his clothing, "clearly others can see it, too." She smiled, somewhat sadly, "It's good to know I wasn't crazy." Her parents, especially her mother, had blamed her grandfather for Violet's acting up and "wild stories." It was part of the reason her parents stopped taking her to see her grandfather at the farm. Violet wished she could show them the proof, but it would not matter now. The woman would never get that time with her grandparents back.

Sam, jarring Violet from her inner thoughts, gave her a gentle slap on the shoulder, "Well, hey, if you saw one as a kid and nothing happened, maybe they're harmlessly curious just like these little apple spirits you ladies were talking about?"

"I suppose that's possible," Violet admitted hesitantly. She got up and passed the sketches to Sebastian. "Is this the same thing, do you think?" she asked him, making eye contact as she gave him the drawings.

The black clad man raised the doodles to his face and nodded, "Yeah, the drawings kind of suck, but I would say those are the shadow man," he confirmed. Violet noticed that he looked away when he said so, however. Like he was leaving something out. She wondered if she was imagining things.

"It did not seem like the shadow was trying to break in," Abigail observed as she watched the video on Sebastian's phone again. "It just... stared inside. I mean, they look freaky, don't get me wrong, but that's all it does..."

Abigail and Sam seemed much more relaxed now that there was some evidence to suggest the shadow creature might be harmless. For a moment there, there was legitimate concern about a potential monster invasion. "Well, I've got to get going home for dinner," the blond announced to dismiss himself, since the issue no longer seemed as dire as it had twenty minutes ago. "Mom would kill me if I'm late." His warm brown eyes fixed on his best friend, "You coming, fam?"

Sebastian hesitated, "I - I'm good, thanks, Sam," he replied, focusing on his feet, then out the window as Bruno rested his large head on Sebastian's feet. The skater could tell that his friend wanted to linger at the farm for some reason, but was not going to say why. Maybe because of Abigail? Things were still going to be a little awkward for a while, but it would soon pass. Sam had no doubt about that. The black-haired man sighed, "Sorry about last night," he apologized to his friends, finally speaking up. "I was way off-base for just up and leaving without trying to talk to either of you about it and jumping to wild conclusions."

The blond picked up his boom box and waved off the apology, "It's no big deal, fam. It all worked out in the end, right you two?" he added, glancing between Abigail and Sebastian.

The amethyst-haired woman looked up at Sebastian, who avoided her gaze, "I think we're going to be okay," she said hopefully, coming to give Bruno a few pats on the head. Surprised by this, the oldest in the room looked back at her.

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "You mean you forgive me?" Sebastian asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Abigail shook her head, as if Sebastian were a lost cause, "While I personally didn't get your apology, Violet said it was a pretty good one." She rested one hand on her hip and offered the other pale hand out to shake Sebastian's. "And I would rather not break up our three musketeers, especially since we've recently added a fourth." She exhaled sharply, expelling some nerves, "Besides, I'd miss you. Still friends?"

Sebastian seemed transfixed on her outstretched hand for a moment, as if he did not believe any of this was real. "Friends," he agreed, signifying their fresh start with a handshake. "Though we're going to have to stop referring to 'the three of us' if Violet's part of the gang now."

Sam stepped in, "I'm sure we can think of a great nickname, but in the meantime, I'm starving!" he waved as he headed out the door to go home. "Have fun, you crazy magic kids!" he winked encouragingly to Sebastian as he disappeared down the porch stairs.

Sebastian's face flushed briefly, but he said nothing. He knew Sam was just trying to get a rise out of him. Abigail hid a giggle behind her hand and also started to head out. "I suppose I ought to go back, too. Mom's cooking tonight, so it will at least be edible," she joked. "You sure you're going to be okay, Violet?" Abigail wanted to make sure the farmer felt safe in her own home, now that everyone knew what had been lurking outside her door. Whether or not it was harmless, it was still unnerving to find out something had been spying on you in your sleep. "You're welcome to stay with me for a night or two, if you want to be on the safe side."

The farmer expressed her gratitude, "No, it's okay. I can't let a little curious ambulatory shadow with glowing eyes scare me out of my own house now, can I?" she protested, a bit too quickly to be convincing. Violet tilted her head toward Sebastian, her waves bouncing in her hair. "Besides, I've got sleeping beauty here to protect me." The aforementioned man stared at her curiously and her cheeks became a bit rosy as she realized what she had said. "Oh... I mean, that you were under a sleeping spell and your cu-" Violet cut herself off when she realized explaining what she meant would only lead to more embarrassment.

"Sleeping beauty?" Sebastian repeated. Was she making fun of him? Why was she acting so weird?

Violet's face went from red to pale white as her face went blank. "I -" _Oh, shit. I slipped up. I called him beautiful._ "Please understand! I – I wasn't trying to make fun of you!" she waved her hands furiously, trying to keep her self-consciousness at bay.

Abigail cut them both off, "Either way, I'm heading home." She winked at Violet, her hand resting on the doorknob. "Have fun tonight. Let me know if the shadow dude shows up again. I'll bring my sword!" And with that, she went out the door.

Just as Abigail expected, she found Sam waiting for her just off the farm property line. He was smiling like a dork. "So you had an interesting look on your face after I kissed Sebastian. You doing okay there or are you a little too hot after seeing two best bros kiss in a completely platonic manner?" he teased mercilessly. "A little jelly maybe?"

Abigail shoved his shoulder, and the hue of her cheeks went pink like the sunset. "I was just shocked that it actually worked!" Sam did not seem to be satisfied with that answer, but let it go and changed the subject.

"From what you sent me earlier, it sounds like you and Violet had some girl talk," he stated, scrolling through the messages Abigail had sent earlier. He lifted his boom box up onto the opposite shoulder and shifted to make the weight more comfortable. "Did you have a good time?"

"It was... nice," Abigail reflected, noticing the flexing of his arm muscles to hold up the speaker. Was he _literally_ flexing to show off for her? She shook her head, trying to shake the distraction. "Sometimes you can just let loose with another girl in a way you can't around the guys."

"Ah, so you gossiped about the handsome eligible bachelors in town," Sam declared with a slight waggle to his eyebrows. Yoba, it was cute. "So does this mean Operation: Crab Cake is still a go after all?" the skater asked her curiously.

Abigail's light blue eyes lit up like a summer's day. Sam loved it when she got so excited. "About that..." she began, "I got some great insight today, but I think we should change our approach..."

* * *

Violet, a bit taken aback by the quick retreat from half the group, stood in silence as Abigail descended the stairs. Once again, she found herself alone with Sebastian. Not that it was a bad thing, it just seemed to be happening more frequently than Violet expected. The paranoid part of her wondered if people were doing it on purpose. Sebastian sat on the guest bed, still averting his gaze for the time being. Had she done something wrong?

"Why is everyone telling us to have fun?" Sebastian wondered out loud in an annoyed tone of voice. "We're not kids being dropped off with a babysitter."

The female farmer laughed nervously, "Oh, that is kind of funny, isn't it? Ha ha ha..." Internally, she was panicking, but the rational side of her told her not to worry, because Sebastian did not seem to understand what Abigail was teasing her about. He had been unconscious when she was ogling him, after all. "Uh, please don't feel like you need to stay if you want to head home," she muttered, feeling awkward. "I'm sure your family is expecting you home for dinner, too."

Sebastian folded his ankles under his knees and sat cross-legged on this guest bed. "To be honest we really only do 'family meals' Friday afternoons before most of us head into town for the evening. It's basically the only tradition we have, but I sometimes skip out early to hang out with Sam, if I get all my freelance work done."

"Freelance work?" Violet repeated for clarification.

He was grateful she was not nagging him about skipping out on family time, but caught off-guard by the personal question. "Oh, uh, yeah, I do freelance work as a programmer," Sebastian told the farmer.

"That's really impressive," Violet marveled. "That's like knowing a whole other language well enough to problem-solve with it!"

Sebastian balked at the comment. Usually people did not take his work seriously at all and assuming he was surfing the web all day. "Do you know any programming languages?"

Violet chuckled, "Oh, gosh, no," she answered. "The most I ever learned how to do was change the color and font of my forum posts as a teen. It's really nothing to brag about."

The programmer shrugged, "Well, that's more than most people in town know how to do and it where a lot of people our age started having fun with it as kids." He shifted back on the bed to lean against the wall. "It was something you could control and do all on your own."

The farmer did the same on her bed across the room and stretched her legs out as far as she could. Her feet hardly reached the other side of the bed, Sebastian noticed with amusement. It was kind of adorable, in its own way. "So what do you want to do as a programmer?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I'm trying to save up so I can move out of here. Probably to the city or something…" he trailed off for a moment, staring out the back window. His face was covered by his bangs from Violet's angle, but she could still see his jawline clench slightly. "You know, if I'd gone to college I'd probably be making six figures right now…" He thought out loud. "I just don't want be a part of that corporate rat race." He looked over at her, his dark eyes focusing on her face and a smirk that disarmed Violet in a way she did not understand. "But I guess you know that more than anyone else in town though, don't you Ms. Main Branch Joja Corp.?"

Flustered, Violet merely nodded at first, "Yeah, it's… not worth it," she agreed, remembering just the sheer exhaustion she felt coming home every night. She was startled by how much her heart sank when Sebastian said he planned on moving to the city. Resting her cheek on her knees, she stole a quick glance back his way. "But I'll be sad to see you go when you do leave. You're the coolest guy here."

The young man sniffed. "You don't have to lie to me to make me feel better," Sebastian retorted in irritation.

Violet shook her head, "No, I mean that," she defended her statement earnestly. "It's been a long time since I've had the chance to chat with someone just for fun. I find that I'm happy to keep stumbling into conversations with you. You're honest, even if the truth sucks." She sighed, "It's hard to find people that 'real' in a big city… Or at least, that's how it felt for me."

Sebastian felt his an overwhelming inquisitiveness. "What do you mean? Aren't people freer to do whatever they want in a big city?"

The farmer shrugged, "Yes and no," she replied in a non-committal tone. "On the one hand there are more job opportunities, people, places to go, et cetera, but on the other hand, everyone is always in such a rush to make their mark, climb the socio-economic ladder – assuming that's possible, change their image, get into someone else's pants – or whatever. It's exhausting and it felt like everyone was just putting on a show to impress everyone else around them but nobody cared and no one was actually happy. It felt so… lonely."

Violet shook her head and her pastel hair fell over her face. She groaned in annoyance, but caring required too much effort in that moment and she was running low on energy to spend on social graces. "But that was just my experience," she tacked on as a disclaimer. "Some people love living in a big city, but I think those people are extroverts." The farmer was pleased to hear a snicker on her last comment. It felt good to know someone thought she was funny.

The programmer had not considered any of the things Violet mentioned, but he wondered if she simply had rose-colored glasses for the small-town life since she had only been here less than two weeks. "What's so great about living in Pelican Town, then?" he asked her.

"You all are just… yourselves," Violet said with a wistful sigh. "Sure, I can tell that not everyone in town is friends with each other, but there's that mutual 'live and let live' kind of respect. You're not trying to fit the mold or be the next great thing. It's like the residents here don't care what the rest of the world thinks and it's so refreshing." Violet corrected her posture, lifting her head and looking across the room at Sebastian, "I'm sorry, I'm probably over-generalizing myself into a ditch, but that's just the feel I get."

"I asked for your opinion," Sebastian countered, finally noticing that the sun had set a good while ago. His stomach growled in a low rumble. "You want something to eat? I haven't had anything all day." He scoffed, "I was apparently sleeping."

"Oh my gosh, you're right. That was so rude of me not to offer anything!" she scrambled up to search a small stack of boxes separate from the larger ones.

Sebastian shook his head, "I don't want to raid your snack stash," he clarified. "I meant like grabbing something from Gus' and eating it."

Violet considered this for a moment, "I do admit that food sounds awesome right now," Violet concurred, her anxiousness over the shadow man had suppressed her hunger, but as soon as someone mentioned getting food, it was as if her body tried to make up for all its complaints at once. "But on one condition! It's my treat since you put a freaking magic ward against shadow people on my house."

The raven-haired man rolled his ink-black eyes, "We don't know that for sure, that was just Sam's theory." While he was enamored with the idea what he had, in fact, successfully cast a spell, there was no way to know for sure unless they received some kind of sign from the universe.

"Well, the brilliant thing about inheriting," she began, as she dug through one of her unpacked boxes for particular item, "as you so aptly pointed out to me the night we met – is that I do not have rent to pay and have a lower cost of living because I'm growing a good portion of my own food," she argued. Sebastian cringed a little at the reminder of what an asshole he had been to say that to her. "And you need to save up for moving to the city. I think you'll be surprised by how expensive city life can be!" Violet informed Sebastian. "Aha!" she exclaimed as she found the item for which she had been searching. It was a hair pin with tiny flower and leaf-shaped beads dangling from one end.

She swept her hair up in a messy bun and added the finishing touch. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm still not used to it being all in my face all the time. It used to be so much longer and I could put it back so many different ways!" Violet offered a hand to help him up, "C'mon, I'm sure you're starving and I could eat a whole maki train right now."

"A what?" Sebastian asked curiously, closing the door to the house behind him. He liked the sound of maki, but a train of maki?

Violet caught herself drooling a bit, "Okay, if there is one redeeming factor when it comes to cities, it's a good all-you-can eat sushi joint." She sighed dreamily, "The restaurant I'm remembering called their all-you-can-eat a 'train.' It was the best."

The programmer raised his eyebrow, "You like sushi that much?" As far as he knew, he was the only one in town that liked it. Then again, he did not really speak to many other people.

Violet affirmed her love confidently. "Nigiri, maki, sashimi... I would literally eat it breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if I could. Sure, I'd have to mix it up a bit with a variety, but it's the best." She chuckled at a memory, "Bex got offended when I wouldn't share my order with her." Her dark blue eyes shot a warning glance his way, "I'll share basically anything else, but not my sushi."

"I'll bet I could eat more than you," Sebastian assertively issued the challenge. There was no way this girl a head shorter than him could out-eat him. Either way, he felt something stirring inside as he issued the dare. Wait… was he having fun? Yoba, it had been so long.

Violet accepted the contest and returned it with smack talk. "Oh, bring it on, nerd."

Sebastian did not hold back. "Fine, farm girl," the young man said, "It's a date. When I move to the city, you're gonna have to buy me sushi. And when I win, you're going to have to admit that the best man won." _Oh, fuck. Did I just call it a date?_

Violet gasped, scandalized, but not for the reason the man expected. "Oh, you did not just bait me with casual corporate sexism, you bastard! You are _so_ going down," she swore emphatically, swatting at the air in his general direction.

He got away with it. Violet did not even care that he had just proposed a date at an unspecified day in the future. He continued to roll with this feeling. "As a matter of fact, I am a bastard," he countered, flashing his teeth in a satisfied half-smirk. "My parents are unmarried." It was true, after all. Whether or not they were married when he was conceived was an irrelevant detail to him. Really it was about keeping up the banter for him. Sebastian never knew he could enjoy talking to someone this much. Then, the farmer's eyes widened, making her look shocked and somewhat vulnerable. He noticed a slight pink in her cheeks. Did he say something wrong or was it just from the exercise of walking into town?

Violet found herself unexpectedly breathless from Sebastian's confident smile and direct eye contact as they teased each other. The farmer was alarmed at how attractive she found him in this moment. "Oh... right, sorry." She felt guilty reminding Sebastian about his father. The woman turned her face away to take a breath and cool down, both physically and emotionally. Her heart was racing, whether it was due to the banter, the cocky smile, or the spirit of competition she was not sure, but it would have to shut it down immediately!

Clearing her throat, Violet decided to switch gears in the conversation. "It looks like we've reached our destination," the female farmer announced, "after you," she said, opening the door for him.

Sebastian was a little off-put by the sudden change in Violet's demeanor. Had he done something wrong? His dark eyes tried to find a hint in her body language or her face, but it was difficult to read the signs of someone he had known for such a short amount of time. Was she avoiding looking at him?

The two approached the counter and placed their orders. "You're going to eat a whole pizza?" Sebastian asked doubtfully. There was no way she could eat all that without bursting.

Violet's cobalt eyes shot him a look, "I'm hungry," she muttered. "And it's not like you can order by the slice!" the woman insisted.

Gus, not sure if the farmer's comment was a criticism of the young man, or his business practices, cleared his throat to get their attention. "Pizza's up!" he announced, taking his payment from Violet.

The female farmer gave him a friendly smile and thanked the saloon owner. "I appreciate the quick service, Gus. Have a good night!"

The saloon owner chuckled. _Perhaps a spat between the two, then._ Surely, everyone in town wanted whole pizzas! They were the best in town, after all. He watched them go. _Ah, to be young again._ He glanced over at Pam, who had not paid her tabs in weeks. At least the young ones knew to be respectful and pay what they owed at the time of service. The mustached man sighed. _The cost of friendship, I suppose._

Sebastian and Violet walked back to the farm quickly, eager to get something to eat. When they arrived, Violet cleared the table and freed an extra chair from a well-packed closet. The two ate in relative silence, mainly because they were so hungry. Sebastian especially. Poor guy.

It turned out that Violet's eyes were bigger than her stomach, however. She had eaten earlier in the day, after all. "Do you want any of mine?" she offered, somewhat reluctantly. She did not like admitted she was wrong, but Violet also did not want to let good food go to waste.

The hoodie-clad man scoffed, "I thought you didn't share your food?"

"Hardy-har," Violet countered sarcastically. "That's only the case with sushi. Besides, the way you downed that pizza tells me you might still be hungry."

"It's a possibility," Sebastian admitted, snatching the last two of Violet's slices and adding them to his previously empty pizza box to enjoy.

Violet sat in relative silence for a while as he finished eating. Sebastian thought she looked like she was debating whether or not to say something.

"What is it?" he queried, taking the last bite of his meal. "You're acting weird."

The farmer squirmed in her seat slightly. "Do you…" she sighed, abandoning her train of thought. "I – I thought I was the only one who saw strange things here in the valley…" Violet began. "My parents wouldn't let me come back after a while because I kept insisting I saw that shadow on the property here as a kid." She glanced over to Sebastian, twiddling her fingers in her lap. "Was last night the first time you saw something… weird here in Pelican Town?"

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, looping his arms over his head and resting his neck on his palms. "No, actually," he answered honestly. The young man surprised even himself, but Violet seemed so distressed by the idea of the shadow, he felt a bit badly.

Violet's dark blue eyes lit up and her eyebrows rose. "What have you seen?"

The pale man shrugged, "I mean there's the usual slimes in the mines, then there's the merpeople, and of course there's always Krobus."

"Wait, what?" Violet asked dubiously. Sebastian was not sure which of creatures she was hung up on. "Merpeople are real, too? And what's a Krobus?"

"Oh," Sebastian started, "yeah, I actually haven't seen any of the merfolk up close, but I saw one once sitting out on the pier on rainy day. They definitely aren't the Disney version, so don't get your hopes up on your dream of being one someday."

"I do not want to be a mermaid," Violet countered, giving him a judging look. "I get seasick and I don't want to live underwater all pruny and everything tasting like salt for the rest of my life."

"Whatever," Sebastian chuckled. "Krobus, on the other hand, looks more like the shadow person in your drawings as a kid than the one I saw last night. He's… friendly. I think." The man leaned back toward the table so that the legs of the chair all rested on the ground.

Violet prodded for more information, tilting her body over the table toward him. "And you've talked to this Krobus shadow person?"

"Not in the last… ten years, probably," Sebastian confessed, tugging at his bangs. "For the longest time I thought he was just an imaginary friend I had as a kid, but… once I saw your drawing, I thought that maybe he was more than that…" He was getting the urge to go outside and smoke a cigarette, but he did not want to stop talking, either. The young man's leg began to jiggle up and down as she spoke.

The farmer exhaled with a slightly tense chuckle, "So people told you what you saw wasn't real, too?"

Sebastian shrugged, "I was a lonely kid, so my mom did not try to stop it for a while. I guess she thought it was my way of coping," he informed Violet. "But eventually I was getting kind of old to have an 'imaginary friend' and my mom started to intervene. Sam moved in a while after that, so it worked out for the best, I guess. I stopped seeing Krobus when I had another kid to hang out with." He paused, looking down at his wardrobe, "I never did stop wearing black, though," he laughed to himself. "It just seemed right when your best friend is a shadow."

"That's kind of adorable, in its own way," Violet cooed. The young man brushed off the comment with a verbal dismissal of the idea, but his cheeks did tinge to a slight pink in embarrassment. At this point it was out of habit. He did not wear black to be cute, that was for damn sure.

"So… you mentioned that Krobus seemed friendly," the female farmer recapitulated. "Why do you say that?"

Sebastian's lips raised in a half-smile. "Did you see the shadow from my video evidence?" he asked with a tinge of sarcasm. "The Krobus I knew as a kid looked like a plushie compared to that." His lips parted for a moment, as if he was about to speak, but he remembered something else instead. "Besides, he always told me that I should stay away from the other shadow people if I could help it. He claimed to be more 'human-friendly' than the others."

Violet's mouth pursed in thought, then she stole a glance at Sebastian from across the table. "Is… that why you're so reluctant to leave me here by myself?" she inquired gently. "You're afraid the non-human-friendly shadows are going to come get me in my sleep?"

The man nearly fell over in his chair, Violet was so close to the mark. Sebastian did not realize he had been so transparent. "C'mon," Violet urged. "I saw the pleading look you gave Sam when he asked if you were leaving, too." She got up and started clearing the table. "You can admit you're worried about the new girl, you know," the farmer smiled teasingly.

He coughed slightly and denied the accusation awkwardly. "Well, I figured since I slept all day anyway and I'm not tired, maybe I could just hang out here instead of going back home right away…" his dark eyes darted toward the door. "Unless you would rather I leave."

Violet found herself caught as well, though neither of them knew it. She did feel better with another person in the house after discovering what had been lurking outside her home last night. The farmer was not exactly in a rush to kick him out. Not to mention Sebastian was a lot of fun to be around. Having a friend sleep over was not a bad thing, after all.

"You can stay as long as you like, but people are going to talk after a while," she finally said. "So we can hang out tonight, but you should probably go sleep in your own bed tomorrow night. I'm sure Bruno can alert me if any rogue shadow people try to break into the house." To make sure she was being fair, Violet simply added, "Does that sound reasonable?"

Luckily for both people involved, neither wanted to be caught blushing, so their conversation was entirely without eye contact or the knowledge of the mutual discomfort. "Y - yeah," he verbally stumbled, "That makes sense."

Now that plans had been set for sleeping arrangements, Violet went into the bathroom and retrieved a few items for Sebastian, placing them on his guest bed. "So here are some towels if you want to shower and an extra blanket if you get cold." She tilted her head toward the bathroom, "You're welcome to use my shower supplies, since I assume you didn't pack any when you originally planned to stay with Sam last night." Her dark blue eyes scanned around, as if she were trying to think of anything else he might need to know. "There are extra toothbrushes and toothpaste in the medicine cabinet above the sink if you need them. Other than that, I think I've done my host duties. Do you want to shower first or should I?"

"Uh, go ahead," Sebastian mumbled, glancing toward the bathroom. He had not thought any of this through.

Violet jumped slightly, surprising him. "Oh, if you want to read something, all my books, manga, and comics are in these boxes," she informed him, gesturing to a surprisingly significant portion of her unpacked pile.

That did genuinely interest him, however, so he thanked her as she closed the door to the bathroom.

The farmer turned on the shower to get the water warm and quickly surveyed the bathroom for anything she should keep out of Sebastian's – or really any guests' – sight. She shoved feminine products in the under sink cabinet and quickly wiped some soap scum and general daily grime from the counter top and mirror. _That's better!_

She showered quickly, brushed her hair and teeth, and re-dressed in her pajamas before heading back out into the main room of the house. "Bathroom is free if you want it," Violet announced as she entered the room. Sebastian, who had indeed buried his face in her comic collection as she expected, looked up at her. His face paled for some reason, like he might be sick. "Ugh, thanks," she said, grabbing his towel and running into the bathroom. Violet wondered if perhaps he ate too much pizza and needed to use the toilet. She felt badly for taking as long as she did. Either way, she settled down on her bed to text Rebecca and check in while feeding Bruno little scraps of meat from her pizza that she had saved for him. The dog grunted happily, his wagging tail thumping against the bed on each downswing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sebastian was in a bit of distress in the bathroom, though not for the reason Violet had assumed. There was one good thing that the man realized from the unfortunate nature of his situation, however: he now knew for sure that he found Violet attractive. He looked down at the lump forming under the zipper of his jeans. "Now is not the time," he whispered urgently swatting toward, but never actually hitting his midsection. "What the fuck, dude?" The black-clad man closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, trying to think of other things. But the sight of Violet standing there with slightly damp hair, wearing his old favorite t-shirt and a pair of shorts that when she stood relaxed and the hem of the shirt rested, appeared to not be there at all.

"How did she get that shirt anyway?" he wondered aloud. "That thing has been missing for months and she only just got here." Eventually, after chasing several other academic trains of thought down strange and bizarre rabbit holes, the feeling passed as his mind was distracted. After exhaling in relief, Sebastian got himself clean, trying to keep his mind on some of his freelance programming problems rather than thinking about who had just used the shower before him. It half-worked, anyway.

The real problem came when Sebastian realized upon exiting the shower that in his rush to keep his embarrassing bodily reaction a secret, he had forgotten his change of clothes. On the one hand, he could go out there and ask her to close her eyes while he quickly gathered his stuff and went back to the bathroom. On the other hand, he could just asked her to set them outside the door. Sebastian shook his head, realizing that his logical thinking had been heavily clouded by visual stimuli that he could not eject from his mind. "Of course, I can just put on the dirty clothes really quick, go out and grab the clean ones, and come back in here to change," he told himself. Problem solved! Only... he had dripped all over his shirt. "Okay, pants," he negotiated with himself. "Guys go out in the summer all the time without shirts. This is fine," he reasoned.

Trying not to look so bashful, Sebastian emerged from the bathroom and grabbed his clean clothing from his bag. His dark eyes glanced at Violet, who appeared to be reading a book. The tension in his body relaxed. _She's not even paying attention. I worried over nothing!_ Sebastian sauntered back to the bathroom to get dressed more comfortably.

* * *

 ***Hey, Bex! How's it going?*** Violet sent to her best friend back in NuNu City. ***You excited to come visit me soon?***

***Of course, chica! I'm doing well. Have you made any friends with your new neighbors?***

***None that would replace you in my heart!*** Violet assured her. ***But I think I'm making friends decently well. :)***

 ***Anyone in particular I should know about? ;D*** The farmer sighed. Rebecca always wanted details on her non-existent love life. And her only long-term relationship had been with a mutual friend of theirs. It had not turned out well and neither she nor Bex talked to him anymore. It was for the best.

Violet blushed, looking up at the door as the water in the shower turned on. She bit her bottom lip and braced herself for the onslaught of questions. ***Okay, real talk: there's a cute guy in my shower right now. D:***

The phone rang more quickly than she had expected, "THOT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A GUY IN YOUR SHOWER?! WHO DID YOU SEDUCE?"

In a panic, Violet turned down the volume on her speaker phone. "I didn't _seduce_ anyone. He just needed a place to crash for a night or two, it's no big deal."

"Uh huh..." clearly her friend was not convinced. "You would not have told me he was cute unless you were interested, so what's going on?" Bex demanded to know. "I thought you were swearing off dating anyone for your first year. You haven't even gotten to the end of week two, conejita."

Violet buried her face in her blanket, "I know, that's why I need you to talk me out of this," she moaned pitifully. "Just his smile set me off earlier, Bex. I have it bad!"

The woman on the other end of the line cackled like an old matchmaker woman, "Ooooh, tienes una infactuación. Que dulce..."

"Just shut up and help me, Bex," she begged. "I don't wanna fuck up my new life here by screwing up my personal relationships this early."

The Latina sighed, "What's wrong with having a little fun, chica?"

"He literally got rejected by a girl he's been crushing for ages on last night," Violet replied, as she heard the 'tsk' on the other end of the line. "I don't want to be a rebound and I sure as hell don't want to act on a little crush this soon."

"It doesn't sound little," Rebecca shot back, but she relented. "All I have to say is if he makes a move, turn him down gently and tell him what you told me about the rejection. I'm sure he'll understand if he likes you back."

Violet heard the water turn off and the shower door open. Sebastian was likely to come out of the bathroom any second, "Thanks, gotta go! Love you, bye!" Violet whispered in a panic and ended the call. She grabbed a nearby book and opened it to a random page to make it look like she had been reading. Sebastian emerged from the bathroom noticeably shirtless. The towel was draped around his neck like a mantle, but it showed off his chest quite nicely. The programmer did not have huge muscles, more the lean kind that men still naturally had in their twenties unless they ate, drank, and sat around too much. Her eyes drank in the sight, but she quickly averted her gaze when he started to turn back around toward her. Oh, shit. Her book was upside-down! _Too late now_ , she thought. _Maybe he won't notice?_ Her crush returned to the bathroom without a word to her. She relaxed, confident that she got away with it for now.

She made a quick fire in the fireplace so Sebastian would have some light during the night, but so that she could still sleep. Upon discovering a few extra pillows, she made a small reading nest by the fire, where he could comfortably sit and read comics. Keeping watching for a shadow monster did not mean he couldn't enjoy himself while he waited for the thing to show up.

Sebastian was still shirtless when he came out again, but this time in long pajama pants with a printed frog pattern. "They're comfortable!" he said defensively, seeing how Violet smiled at him.

"I didn't say anything!" Violet insisted, her grin widening. "But they are very cute frogs."

The book nerd was in paradise with all these new, free books, comics, and manga to read. Some of them he had never heard of. He noticed the pile of pillows by the fire. "I figured you would want somewhere comfortable to read when I turn off the main light," Violet informed him.

Sebastian laughed. "I might just move the bed over here and put this pile of pillows on top for maximum lounging."

"Oh, uh, sure..." she agreed, helping to roll the trundle bed toward the fireplace. While the beds would not be connected, they would be on the same side of the room now. There was no harm in that, right? "There!" she announced, after moving some of the boxes to clear the way. "You're all set."

"Thanks," Sebastian replied gratefully as he sunk into the pillow pile with a book. She smiled as he seemed to immediately get lost in the story.

Violet settled into her bed and turned out the light, with Bruno at her feet. After a few moments of silence, the young woman spoke up. "Hey, Sebastian?" she called out quietly.

"What's up?" he responded, tilting his head toward the sound of her voice.

"Thanks for staying an extra night," the farmer said gratefully, snuggling her pillow. She thought of the creature that had lurked in her windows. "I actually feel a lot better knowing you're here." She smiled, despite herself, "But you know, if you actually did actually cast a spell, it'll be awesome knowing we have a legitimate caster in our party."

Sebastian, who could tell from Violet's tone that she was smiling, did so as well. After a while, he heard the soft sound of her rhythmic breathing, signalling she had fallen asleep. "Yeah..." he agreed quietly, as he resumed his reading. Though he did not specify which statement he approved.


	20. Natural Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru, Demetrius, and Robin finish their surprise for Sebastian. Shane contemplates where his life went wrong. Alex drops off Dusty to play with Bruno. Sebastian and Maru have a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads-up for readers: Shane experiences some passive suicidal ideation.

Maru woke up early that Friday morning, excited to get the family project finished before Sebastian got home. Her father had grumbled about the manual labor involved at first, but after seeing all the preparation and work Robin put into making the structures, it occurred to Demetrius that it was the only meaningful way both he and his daughter could be involved. Robin gave careful, precise instructions, and the father-daughter duo would execute the plan. It was the first time the young scientist had helped with a home improvement with her parents and she was glad they were all doing something for Sebastian to show they cared.

Yesterday, Maru had called off work to take a personal day. Luckily, business had not been too busy this time of year and Harvey was more than willing to allow it. So, the trio had chosen two prime locations for the new windows that would neither undermine the integrity of the basement and the structure of the rest of the house above it, nor be too inconvenient for Sebastian's bedroom layout. The hardest part had been removing the correct stones and shoring the area above them while Robin installed the window framing. But once that had been done, reinforcing the window wells, pouring in proper drainage materials, and re-doing the interior walls were not so bad.

As mid-morning arrived, the trio made the finishing touches on Sebastian's room. He now had two fairly large east-facing windows: one above his bed and the other above his bookshelf. Maru had even thought to put in curtain rods and window sills, so her brother could still block out the light if he wanted and display some of his collectibles where their mom may not think to try and clean. They would let him choose the color of the curtain panels, of course. "Do you think Sebastian will like it, Mom?" Maru asked, admiring their work.

Robin smiled at her daughter and gave her a hug, "It was a very thoughtful idea, dear. I'm sure your brother will appreciate it."

Demetrius wiped the sweat from his brow and stood proudly in front of their work. "It looks great, Robin. You amaze me as always."

The ginger chuckled, "I could not have done it without my strong, brainy assistants!" She gave her husband a kiss and the two smiled at one another lovingly as they embraced. Maru was happy that her parents were clearly still in love, but she was not particularly interested in watching them show it to the world all the time.

"I'm going to let Sam know he can let Sebastian come home now," she told them, though she did not think they were paying attention. Entering the house, she grabbed her phone from the carpentry shop counter. ***Hey, Sam! Sebastian can come home now. We're all finished with his room. Thanks for keeping him out of the house for us!***

***No need to thank me. I'm always down to hang out with my brother from another mother. I'll see if I can get him to leave.***

* * *

Sam, being a loyal friend, had covered for Sebastian for the last two nights so his family did not know what happened. The first night Sam simply did not mention that Sebastian had left his house after less than an hour. Sure, upon being called to action by Abigail the next day, Sam could have told Robin and Demetrius that their oldest had been under an enchanted sleep due to a shadow creature, but that would have complicated the matter. Since no actual harm was done, it was probably best not to get their parents involved. Last night, Same let Sebastian's family continue to assume he had been hosting their kin. While Sam thought that Sebastian's sister would not see the harm in spending the night at Violet's, his best friend's parents might object in a similar fashion to that of his own parents.

This whole thing had actually worked out well. Sebastian's family needed him out of the house for a surprise and Sebastian was either asleep or not yet prepared to return home anyway. It was a win-win and neither party was the wiser regarding the others' plans. Now all Sam needed to do was ensure that his friend actually went home today. That should be easy enough. Today was Friday and the scheduled pool rematch of guys vs. girls, so either way, he expected to see Sebastian that evening. However, it was wise not to chance these things, so he messaged Sebastian to make sure he knew the situation. If they did not have their story straight, problems may arise, after all.

***Hey, fam! Ready for the big re-match this evening?***

***You might want to swing by your place before tonight. Your parents think you've been staying with me. Let's keep it that way, eh? ;D***

* * *

Sebastian awoke to darkness again, but this time he felt the rough texture of a printed page upon his face. Lifting the book from his face, the young man looked around to find the house empty. Unsurprising, of course, as the occupant of the house was likely doing farm work outside. The avid reader had stayed up most of the night, until he finally was satisfied that the shadow would not return and he was tired enough to sleep. Sebastian had no real way of knowing the time. He left his phone in his bag and the idea of leaving his pillow fort next to the fire did not appeal in the middle of the night.

 _Oh, fuck. I didn't tell my family I'd be out again last night,_ he thought. Sebastian scrambled out of bed to find his phone and text Robin, hoping that his mom did not call the cops. That's the last thing he needed right now, for some ZuZu City cops to come all the way out here to find a missing guy less than a mile out of town. Demetrius would be pissed.

But, much to his surprise, there were no frantic messages asking him about his location or when he would return home. Just one from Sam the night before informing Sebastian that he need not worry and took care of things. He sighed in relief.

The click of a door opening came from behind him and Sebastian realized that Violet had just been in the bathroom getting ready for the day ahead. She was already in a green t-shirt, jeans, and thick-soled boots. "Morning!" she greeted her guest through her teeth, which held her hair tie as she gathered up her locks. When she was satisfied, she freed one hand to grab the elastic ring, and fastened her hair in a high ponytail. "I didn't expect you to be up this early," she told Sebastian.

"Early?" Sebastian repeated, looking around the brightly lit room in confusion. "It's so bright out."

The female farmer laughed, "It's only 6:10," she informed him with a teasing smile. Her laughter only intensified as his face fell in disgust and horror.

"I'm going back to bed," he informed her without hesitation, falling face-first back into his pile of pillows on the trundle bed with a grunt.

"Be my guest," Violet replied, donning her grandfather's old straw hat. "I, on the other hand, have a garden to water and some parsnips to harvest." With that, exited the house.

The young man peered out from the pillows to watch her go. Why was she being so nice to him? Violet had given him a place to crash with boxes of books to read and seemed to be in no hurry to kick him out. She did not even seem upset that he had not offered to help with the farming. To say he was suspicious would be an understatement, but part of him also wondered if he was overthinking things. Sebastian had stayed the second night to make sure she was safe from the shadow creature and they had already agreed he should return home this evening the night before. Why would anyone see anything wrong with that? Sebastian sighed and sunk back into the pillows. He sank back into the fluffy mound and tried to drift back to sleep.

* * *

Shane rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Since he had gone to bed in his Joja Mart uniform, there was really no reason to get changed since he would be heading straight back to work anyway. Snatching the breakfast burrito from the freezer, he pulled it from the wrapper, and threw it into the microwave. His dark eyes stared blankly at the frozen block spinning slowly, round and round, like he did every morning.

When had life become so monotonous and void of meaning? Was it when he broke his arm during his final high school gridball season when the scouts came to watch? Shane had trained for that chance for years, all of it to be destroyed by some guy nearly a foot taller than he when they collided. He just did not have the body mass and the physics had not been in his favor. The shattering of his arm cost him all sorts of opportunities and the doctors told him he would likely never play again.

His own foolishness cost him as well. Shane had only bothered to apply to universities whose gridball teams he considered worthy of his time. He could have applied to other colleges the following year, but when the time came, he had not listened to the doctors' warnings and still had not fully recovered. Shane loathed the stupidity of all those decisions. If only his hubris had not gotten the better of him. Once his dream of going pro had died, a large part of him did, too.

His parents were not an option. Hell, he did not even know where they were at this point. He had lost contact years prior and they certainly could not be bothered to initiate contact, either. So, when his father's sister Marnie had offered him a place to stay, Shane had been surprised. But Marnie was already taking care of her niece, Shane's second-cousin Jas, after the accident that killed her parents. Shane promised David and Lila that he would help take care of their daughter when he became Jas' godfather. So in the end, he accepted aunt Marnie's offer because it made some sense to have both of Jas' guardians living in the same house.

Jas' father, David, was Shane cousin once removed, but Shane had always thought of him as an uncle. The cool kind that kept your secrets, gave good advice, and a safe space when Shane needed to talk things out. The loss of his favorite relatives left a gaping hole in his life and in combination with his injury, it was all just too much. The drinking slowly became a more prominent part of his life over the last few years and now Shane felt like he would never be able to see the light from the bottom of the hole in which he found himself. So here he still was, stocking shelves at the tiny local branch of the largest grocery store chain in the country, and helping Marnie tend to the ranch. Was this really all there was to life? Shane wondered if he actually believed that things would get better one day or if the sheer inertia of his monotonous life just kept alive.

The microwave dinged, announcing it had performed its duty. Shane yanked open its door and pulled out the breakfast burrito. Taking a bite, he realized it was still cold in the center, but he was so beyond caring at this point, he ate it anyway. It was just how his life would always be, he decided. No dreams, no hope, no future. Just repeating the same schedule day in and day out, waiting for something to take him, too.

But Jas... Then who would Jas have left other than Marnie? Resigned, the man exhaled, rubbing his face. The scratchy sensation of the stubble on his hand brought him out of his downward spiral long enough to remind him that he had to get to work. If he showed up even a second late, the new manager Morris would write him up. Not that he was ever late, but Shane at least had enough spite left in him to not want to give the bespectacled snob the satisfaction. So, Shane headed off to work and walked a little bit faster that day, just to make sure the manager did not get on his case. He really was not feeling it today.

* * *

Alex finished his complete breakfast that Granny made for him and rushed out the door to start his spring training as he thanked her for the meal. Evelyn smiled at her grandson's healthy appetite and called after him, "Don't forget ol' Dusty!"

The spiky brunet paused and returned to the kitchen to snatch up the salmon skin Granny saved for his dog. "Thanks again!" he called to her appreciatively. Gramps shouted that they be quiet during his favorite program, but Alex did not pay much mind. George's favorite show always seemed to be whatever was playing in front of him anyway.

As the jock reached the fence line, Dusty jumped up on his haunches to greet his human. "Hey, boy!" Alex smiled at his loyal companion, "Here you go." He tossed the salmon skin into the air and the old dog positioned himself to catch it just before it hit the ground. "Saved at the last second once again," Alex commented, pleased that Dusty had not dropped a treat yet.

The old dog smiled at his master and barked happily. Alex reached over the fence to pet Dusty's head. Looking into those soulful brown eyes, the young man knew he could not leave his loyal companion in the dog pen all day. It was gorgeous outside and the farm girl offered to let Dusty come over any time to play with Bruno. Alex beamed and quickly ran inside to grab Dusty's leash. "Be right back, boy," he promised.

The old dog sat patiently, as his person ordered. Dusty was rewarded when Alex returned with his leash. The loyal dog's tail wagged furiously in excitement and he leaped up toward the gate to leave the pen. Alex clipped the leash onto the collar loop and opened the gate. The mutt's tongue was hanging off to one side of his mouth as he grinned ear to ear.

The wannabe pro gridball player felt validated in his decision to take Violet up on her offer. Dusty already looked so happy. "Let's go to the farm, boy!"

* * *

Sebastian woke again a few hours later, with his phone buzzing in his face. It was Sam again, asking if he was ready for the re-match tonight and a not-so-subtle reminder that he really needed to go home today if they wanted to keep the appearances that he had slept over at his best friend's house and not with the new farm girl. ***No worries, Sam. I'm heading out shortly***

Reluctantly, Sebastian rolled off the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and get dressed. When he emerged, he glanced over to Violet's bed, realizing she had laid out her pajamas. Just to make sure, Sebastian decided to more closely inspect the shirt that she wore the night before to confirm that it was his and not just something similar.

Sure enough, the shirt had the same design and feel as his missing shirt. Sebastian checked the tag, which bore his initials. _Okay, so this is definitely my old shirt,_ the man thought. _So how did Violet get it?_

"Wha'cha doing?" a voice asked him from behind. Sebastian jumped, dropping the shirt back onto the bed as he turned to face the questioner. It was Violet.

"Uh... T-the shirt - I thought it was someone else's," he replied awkwardly, trying not to look too guilty. Sebastian did not want Violet thinking he was some kind of pervert.

Violet did not seem surprised by his answer, though. "Oh, yeah," she began to explain. "Maru wanted to borrow one of my shirts for some pollen sample or something, so she offered to let me borrow one of hers. It was at the bottom of the drawer, so I figured she doesn't wear it very often. I can't imagine why, though. It's so comfortable!"

 _So it was... an accident?_ Sebastian did love that shirt, but part of him liked that Violet wore it so often, even if people did not tend to see it. She looked good in it. The young man tried not to think about it too much. He did not want to repeat the incident from last night and come off as some kind of pervert. "No wonder it looked familiar. It's the same shirt," Sebastian responded. He should leave now, before things got more awkward.

The black-haired man looked around to make sure he had not forgotten anything. Nothing of his was in sight, so he threw his bag over his shoulder and lingered in the doorway. "I guess I'm out, then. Thanks for letting me crash."

The farmer smiled, "It was nice to get to hang out one-on-one," she told Sebastian as he descended the porch stairs. "And I think it's safe to say you officially put a ward against shadow monsters on my house, so thank you." There was actually no real way to confirm unless another creature showed up, but Violet chose to be optimistic about the situation.

The black-clad man paused on the final step and thought for a moment, "I wish I knew why it worked, and if it's just me... or something else that triggered the magic."

The female farmer nodded thoughtfully, "I suppose we'll have to experiment sometime," she suggested. "See what works and what doesn't."

"Hey, farm girl!" a voice called out from the east, interrupting their conversation. It was Alex and his dog, Dusty. "You sure it's still cool if Dusty hangs out here with Bruno for the day?"

"Oh, hey Alex," Violet said as he got closer. She was annoyed that the walking letter-jacket likely either forgot her name or did not care, but there was no reason to punish Dusty over his owner's negligence. The woman smiled at the sight of old Dusty, clearly excited to be able to run around free. "Of course Dusty is welcome to play with Bruno whenever he wants," the farmer confirmed. "Don't be shy about bringing him by."

Bruno, who realized there was a playmate on the property, charged toward the group and barked a greeting. Dusty whined to be set free from the leash and Alex unlatched the tether from the mutt's collar. The two dogs bolted toward the pond, probably about to get incredibly muddy in the water. They seemed happy, however, and Violet was not about to stop them from enjoying themselves. She lived on a farm after all.

Sebastian, who had been completely ignored by the jock the entire time, stood in awkward silence, shifting his weight between his feet. Should he leave now or wait to say goodbye properly? Alex answered the question for him when he spoke up, "Hey, it's the goth guy." The corners of Sebastian's mouth twisted down in a frown. _I'm... not goth,_ he thought to himself. Alex, on the other hand, took notice of Sebastian's bag and he smirked in realization. "You work fast, don't you, man?" he laughed with a congratulatory wink and a light punch to the shoulder.

The athlete turned to Violet. "See you around, farm girl! I'll be back later to pick up Dusty," Alex said to excuse himself as he headed back toward town. "Thanks again!"

The programmer had no idea what Alex's weird comment was supposed to mean, but he had a feeling it was not a compliment. Violet looked equally lost, but shrugged it off. "Well, I guess I'll see you at The Stardrop Saloon tonight?" she asked her new friend.

"Yeah, sure thing," Sebastian confirmed, "but the girls are going to lose this time." He smiled at Violet and she returned with one of her own.

"We'll see about that," the floral-haired woman countered with a chuckle. "Abigail seems to have been waiting for her chance to grind you boys into the dirt."

The dark-haired man adjusted his bag on his shoulder, "Hey, at least I have some skill to back my trash talk, you were just as bad as Sam."

Violet wanted to defend her honor, but Sebastian was technically correct. She huffed and shooed him off her property. "Go home!"

Sebastian gave her that cocky half-smile that made her heart pound against her rib cage before turning to head up the northern path toward the mountain. He knew he won that spat. _Damn bastard_ , she thought as Sebastian shouted, "See you later, Violet."

* * *

Sebastian took his time walking home, assessing the events of the last few days. He wondered how to best test his magic. There was really no guide book for this. Well, maybe it existed in some ways. The young man realized he could go through some tabletop gaming spells and see if any others worked for him. That could be a lot of fun. Then, this was all still assuming that he did actually cast a protection spell on Violet's house and it was not by coincidence that no other shadows appeared on the farm.

 _But how damn cool would it be to have magic?_ he thought to himself with excitement. It did not feel real. Hell, a lot of the last 48 hours did not seem real to him. Granted, a good chunk of that time he was asleep - presumably because the shadow did something to trigger it or his body needed some kind of rest after casting. It would have been his first spell, after all. Right?

Sebastian tried to think back to any inexplicable events in his past that could potentially be caused by some kind of magical element. Nothing came to mind but the fact that Krobus, whom he been made to believe was an imaginary friend, might in fact be one of those shadow people intrigued him. But how to get back in contact, assuming the shadow was still around town? The young man decided that would be one of his missions going forward.

The other, more complicated thought that came to mind was how this magic manifested in him. Was it because of the Valley? If the land were a source of magic, it was likely that more people in town might have it, too. That would be something to research as well.

There was also the uncomfortable possibility that it was... genetic in some way. Sebastian felt confident that his mother would have told him if there was a possibility if he received the magic from her, but who knows? Then there was the less appealing idea. Was it from his father? The one his mother never mentioned unless pressed, the one who abandoned him, the one who never even cared to contact him? He sighed, despairing at the idea that he may never get answers if that were the case.

Aside from the magic, then there was Violet... Abigail had just rejected him, so how could he possibly have feelings for someone else so quickly? It made no sense to him. Sure, he undeniably still feelings for Abigail, but he knew he would have to let the hope for a romantic relationship with her die. He wanted to respect her wishes and focus on the friendship aspect of their relationship. And to be fair, Sebastian acknowledged there was definitely overlap in his feelings for each of them, just in varying degrees. With Violet, things were different than they had been with Abigail. Sebastian felt more relaxed around her when they talked. Maybe it was because she had more to say about the kinds of things he liked, but he could not be sure. It was a strange, but welcome feeling.

If not for her moving into town and all the change that catalyzed in the town's dynamics, Sebastian might still be stuck in the same position he had for the last several years: pining fruitlessly over Abigail. While it was not necessarily Violet herself who caused the events over the last several days. The fact that there was a new, single young person in town did, however. Still, he had to wonder why Violet was so damn nice to him in particular. Everyone wanted something from their relationship with others. So what was her motivator? It was hard to venture a guess from only knowing her so short a time.

Her laugh rang in his ears, even now. And the cute way her cheeks puffed out when he called her out on her lack of pool skills made him smile. Violet was a lot of fun to talk to about - well, anything really. Sebastian felt a small twinge of pain in his face. Lifting his fingers up to find the source, the young man quickly realized that the muscles in his face were simply not used to smiling for more than a few fleeting seconds at a time. "Huh..." he muttered to himself. It was weird to go from feeling so low to this in such a sort span of time.

Before he realized it, Sebastian was home. He opened the door and the bell chimed, announcing his arrival. The young man did not notice that his mother was missing from the shop counter. The youngest male in the family turned the knob of the door down to his room and headed down toward the basement to crash for a while. He was mentally exhausted, but not entirely unhappy about it.

The black-clad man threw his bag into a corner, walked across the room to his bed, and collapsed into it. As he lie there, he had to turn away from the window so the light was not so bright in his eyes. At least it was not as bad as Violet's place. No wonder she got up so damn early every morning. After a few moments, Sebastian began to notice something was different, but he could not see anything out of place in his room. The table he kept at the ready for his RPG games with Sam looked as it should, the purple rug on the floor was still in the same place, and his computer desk seemed to be untouched. Wait - his lights were off and he could still see everything. Sebastian shot up into a sitting position and looked up behind him. _His room had natural light!_ "WHAT THE FUCK?!" he shouted in surprise, nearly falling out of his bed as his brain processed that the wall now had two windows.

His mind began to race with so many different thoughts. Who did this? When did this happen and how? Sebastian was so overwhelmed with the sudden change and the potential implications behind it. What was the meaning of this? His family hated him, why would they install windows in his cave if they left him there to rot? He ran upstairs to demand an explanation.

* * *

Maru was doing her usual work in the lab when she heard the chime of the front door. _That_ _must be Sebastian!_ she thought with excitement. She heard the familiar clunk of his boots on the floorboards and the squeak of his bedroom door opening. The young scientist did not want to intrude on her brother's privacy, but she really wanted to see the look on his face. Maru tilted her head toward the hallway, hoping to hear something to indicate what he thought of the new additions to his room.

Then, without warning, a shout erupted from the basement. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

His younger sister cracked a smile, knowing that despite the profanity, the reaction meant he liked the improvements made to his room. Maru continued to peer into her microscope to view the specimen when she heard the thundering up the stairs. "Maru!" Sebastian cried as he entered the lab, panting slightly from coming up the stairs so quickly. "What the hell happened in my room?!" he demanded to know, pointing at the door leading down the basement.

Maru turned to face her brother and her grin widened when she saw how his jaw still hung wide open in disbelief. "We thought you needed something like this," she told him sweetly, her arms wrapping around him. "We should have done it sooner, sorry bro." He did not try to shake her off as he normally did. She suspected that the cognitive dissonance between his firm belief that his family never listened to him or cared and the fact that they had spent the last day-and-a-half installing windows in his room were messing with his worldview. It was a good thing, Maru decided, squeezing him in a hug.

"When...? How...?" Maru could hear Sebastian's voice shake slightly as his forehead lowered to rest on her shoulder. "I don't understand... What are you all trying to pull?" _Was this some kind of sick joke?_ The young scientist patted her older brother's head.

"We love you, Seb," Maru assured him, with a pat on the back. "I got some good advice recently and it made me realize we don't show you enough. So mom, dad, and I wanted to do something for you," she explained. "We asked Sam to keep you out of the house for a few days so we could work on putting in your new windows." She gently grabbed his shoulder and held him at arm's length. "So I guess if we're trying to 'pull' anything, we're trying to pull you closer so you _feel_ how much we love you." Maru adjusted her glasses, which became slightly askew when they hugged. "C'mon," she coaxed him with a playful tug at the back of his shirt. "I'll help you get your room the way you want it."


	21. Social Dynamics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Maru have some time to bond. Shane prepares for the Egg Festival. Emily worries over a regular. Violet, Leah, and Elliott have dinner together.

"This is stupid, Maru," Sebastian complained, "You don't have to help me." His younger sister stood precariously on a stool, holding up several different curtain panels so that Sebastian could better see how they would look. "I feel weird enough about this," he grumbled.

Maru shook her head, "You're being silly, Sebastian. Just choose something!" she teetered back and forth, but regained her balance after lowering her center of gravity.

Sebastian grabbed his sister's wrist and yanked her down to fall on the bed, rather than the floor. "You're going to break your neck or something and mom and Demetrius are going to blame me." The last thing he needed was for Maru to do something to hurt herself and get the heat for it.

The younger sister scowled at her brother, "I'm not a child anymore, Sebastian," she sighed, trying to untangle herself from the curtain panels. But Maru could not help but smile just a little bit, noticing how Sebastian was acting like an older brother. He had his own way of caring. "Could you at least pick something? You can change it later if you don't like it."

The black-haired man groaned and slumped to sit on the now-vacant stool. "You insisted on helping. Narrow it down for me!" he plead. Maru scoffed at how her brother balked at a little decision in interior decorating. She noticed for the first time that he seemed more exhausted than usual, but not in physical sort of way.

"What did you and Sam do for the last two days that made you so grumpy?" Maru inquired, finally freeing herself from the swaths of fabric and standing up to get a better look at things. She continued to peruse through to give Sebastian a few options. Maru figured the standard 5-3-1 method might work well here and that is where she would start.

"It's none of your damn business," Sebastian insisted with a growl, crossing his arms over his chest, and putting his feet up on the frame of his bed.

Maru glanced over at him, her red rims glinting in the sunlight that now filtered into the room. "You know, the last time you were honest about your feelings, people listened and you got something good out of it," she told him as a not-so-subtle hint. She separated a deep red curtain to match the computer desk stools and a green to match the ones at the gaming table from the pile.

Sebastian chewed on the dead skin on his lips, contemplating Maru's point. "I don't wanna owe anyone anything..." he finally said.

His sister exhaled deeply, as she pulled a dark grey panel that matched the couch and comforter on Sebastian's bed as a third curtain option. "How many times do I have to tell you that's not how family is supposed to work?"

The young man huffed in exasperation, "You say that, but that doesn't change the fact that it feels like a debt," he explained. "I get what you're trying to do with the windows and the 'sibling bonding' time, but things aren't gonna change over night."

Maru nodded in understanding, as she plucked a white curtain to add some brightness to the room and a purple that matched the lighter tone of the rug on the floor. "I get that, but I also get that I'm not mom or dad and siblings are supposed to be able to talk to each other like confidants about things we might not normally talk about with them, right?" she gathered her five options and laid them out on Sebastian's bed for him to see better. "It seems like Sam and Vincent get each other out of trouble quite a bit from what I hear from Penny." She turned to her brother and smirked, "Besides, I have this sneaking suspicion that you didn't hang out with just Sam the entire time."

The corners of his mouth dropped, "What do you know?" he said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

Without looking at him, the younger of the two simply said, "You willingly stayed out for two days. You're such an introvert that I doubt that would have been easy for you. Do you really expect me to believe you did not try to leave at some point? Sam's a terrible liar and you might have caught on that something was up." Maru finally turned to face her brother, "Besides, you twitch a little when you smile, so either you've developed some weird tic or your face hurts for some reason. Since I doubt you developed a tic in the last two days and you have no visible injuries, like a bruise from a punch, I suspect your muscles are simply tired from strain."

Sebastian squirmed uncomfortable in his seat. His sister was too smart for her own good. And since when had she been so concerned with his private life? "So?"

His sister sat on the bed, her elbows on her knees, and her chin resting in her palms. "So who made you smile so much, Sebby? I doubt it was Sam..."

"I don't want white. It's too bright," the young man said, indicating to the curtain panel, obviously trying to change the subject. "And no more grey-black, either. I've got enough of that with the stone, the computers, and the other stuff in the room."

Maru decided to play along for now, "Great! Now we're down to three: red, green, and purple." She draped them over her arms and t-posed so he could visualize it better without getting on top of something and risking a fall. "Which one speaks to you?"

Her older brother rolled his eyes, "Do we have to do this now?" he complained. Sebastian was so social exhausted, he did not want to be around people right now.

The brunette tilted her head to the side, "Well, if you don't choose, you're going to have light coming in at all hours, something to which you are not accustomed. But if you insist on changing the subject, we could talk about how you and Violet were seen leaving Gus' together last night."

Sebastian froze, knowing she had been caught him. "We were just getting food," he relented. "That's all it was."

"Of course," Maru agreed. "I was not implying anything, I just don't understand why you feel the need to hide it." The young woman poked at her brother's side. "Unless something happened that you're ashamed or embarrassed about..."

"I just got pissed at Sam and Abigail after Vince's party and she offered me somewhere to stay. That's it!" Sebastian shouted defensively.

"Huh," Maru mused, tapping her finger to her cheek. "So what made you so angry at your best friends that made you want to hang out with a stranger?"

The black-clad man shifted on his stool, "Violet's not a complete stranger anymore," he muttered reluctantly. "We... talk."

Maru's cheeked puffed out and she covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to contain her mirth. Her brother did not notice, since he was doing everything he could to avoid eye contact. This was going much better than expected! _Now to see what I can find out..._ "I'm glad you have a new friend, big bro," Maru said. "It's good to see you looking happier."

His dark eyes glanced her way, "I look... happier to you?" he questioned, genuinely puzzled. What had he done to indicate that?

The brunette laughed quietly, "Well, as much as one can in 48 hours, I suppose. I actually saw your lips curve upward _ever_ so slightly since you came home." She put down the light jade curtain, thinking it did not suit her brother much. "You used to hate me so much you would hardly look at me."

Sebastian sighed deeply. "I - I don't hate you," he began hesitantly, "I just don't know how to deal with you." He paused and brushed his bangs out of his face, trying to organize his thoughts. "I know you're the favorite. If I fuck up around you, I look worse by comparison, and I feel even more like a failure." The young man rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the floor. "And I can't stand Demetrius' commentary about what a fucking failure I am. As if I don't already know!"

Maru grimaced sympathetically, "That's not true Sebastian," she assured him. "And mom and I had a talk with dad about how he speaks to you and jumps to negative conclusions whenever you're involved."

"That's great, or whatever," her brother countered, "but it sucks because it feels true." His dark eyes finally stole a look at his sister's face. "You've got good things going for you. You've got a job people respect, you're smart and build you own gadgets, you do well with other people." He broke the eye contact and stared out his new window. "Me? I have projects I work on for money, but it's nothing stable. I never went to college and I don't feel comfortable talking to others face-to-face. I have nothing going for me."

Maru stood up and approached him. She could try to argue his point of view until she were blue in the face, but there was really no point. This was how Sebastian saw the world, she reminded herself. She put her hands on her brother's shoulders and said, "And yet... you've found something to smile about lately." She straightened back up and pointed toward the two remaining curtain options on the bed, "Now pick! You're driving me crazy with your indecisiveness."

Sebastian blinked, caught off guard by Maru's words. "Uh..." he stumbled, unsure of what to choose.

"There is no wrong answer, Seb," his sister assured him. "It's whatever you want, it's your room!"

"Fine! I'll go with violet," he informed Maru, who immediately broke out in a wide grin.

"I thought you might," the brunette said, clearly satisfied with herself. "It not only matches the rug on your floor, it's the same color as her hair, too, isn't it?" she said, sliding the curtain onto the rod and stretching upward to put it on the hooks.

The young man immediately flushed pink, realizing what he had done now that it reached his ears and from Maru's reaction. "You did that on purpose!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at his younger sister.

Maru shrugged, "I might have been hoping for this result, but I purposefully never referred to the color as 'violet.' That would compromise the results," the scientist admitted. "You provided the association all on your own, Mr. Freudian Slip." She hopped down from the bed and used a stool to climb up to add the second curtain over the bookshelf.

"I change my mind! I want the red ones," Sebastian insisted, clearly alarmed by the effectiveness of his sister's tricks.

Maru got down from the stool immediately. "What, to bring out the red on your face whenever she comes to visit?" Maru countered, holding the ruby curtain next to his face for comparison. "I'm sure you'll look great, big bro." The woman realized she was having way too much fun watching her brother squirm and decided to end her fun there. She did not want to antagonize him, after all.

"I'll put them up myself!" Sebastian exclaimed, shooing her out of his room. "Go away!" Maru gathered up the spare curtains that had already been eliminated and allowed herself to be push toward the door.

"I'll give these mom to return to the shop inventory," Maru said, opening the door to leave. "And I'll be back to collect the red ones once you stop being such a dork." She closed the door behind her and the young man listened until her footsteps.

Once Sebastian was convinced his sister had actually gone upstairs, he turned to face the fabric on his bed. The rectangles mocked him, just laying there, looking perfectly innocent until people foisted their own ideas onto them. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to shake off how flustered he felt, but his mind wandered to Violet. "Fuck," he cursed to himself, as he saw her face in his mind's eye. "Maru's right... It's the same color." No wonder it looked familiar. He sighed, sitting down on his bed to thread the purple curtain through the rod and stood on a stood to affix it in the correct position. It did also match one of the shades of the floor rug, so it was not completely out of place. Sebastian had to agree that it looked nicely put together. "Maybe she won't notice..." Sebastian muttered to himself hopefully.

As he grudgingly put up the second panel, he noticed the window sill would be a good place to put some of the things he did not want his mother to throw away they next time she snooped in his room. Maybe he could smoke with the window open, too. Sebastian had to admit he had been a bit more on edge since he had not smoked last night. No wonder he had been so hungry. He quickly realized that the window sill jutted out too far to allow him to comfortably lean out the open window to smoke and not get the fumes in the house. Did they do that on purpose? He sighed, knowing he would still have to go outside by the lake to smoke. It did give him a bit of time outside alone with his thoughts, though. Sometimes he needed that time of contemplation. Usually it was to sort out ideas for a programming project, or when he was going to finally muster enough courage to tell Abigail how he felt. Well, he was down that particular train of thought now.

Sebastian grabbed his open pack of cigarettes and left the house toward the lake. _Just one quick smoke,_ he told himself.

* * *

Shane completed all of his work duties several hours early that day and hoped that with the upcoming festival tomorrow that would showcase his hens' eggs, he would be allowed to leave early. He approached his direct supervisor, a red-head named Cheryl, who worked the cash register. "Hey, are you coming to the Egg Festival tomorrow?" he asked her, trying to ease into his request. While he knew he could not make his case to Cheryl without chatting her up for a bit, he would have to be quick before Morris showed his ugly face. That guy would never allow him to leave early.

Cheryl looked bored, "No, I'll be working right here," she replied, pointing down at the floor on which she stood. "Even if I wasn't working, though, I wouldn't come all the way out here on my day off. I'm only at this tiny branch store because they needed someone with experience." The woman seemed annoyed that corporate had decided to expand into a small town like this. It was clearly interrupting her social life in the city.

"Well, my hens are laying all the eggs and I need to get them to some people in town to get everything prepared in time," Shane informed his supervisor. "Since I finished all my work early, do you mind if I duck out of here?"

The woman eyed him suspiciously,"You got _everything_ done?" she crossed her arms. "You know Morris always says there's more to do once the regularly assigned work is complete." She leaned in closer, resting her forearms on the counter. "So why should I let you go?"

Ugh, what was with these city people? Or maybe it was because they were Joja people... Who knows? Shane, who had been expecting this potential problem, simply stated, "I'm hourly. The less time I'm here, the less you all have to pay me, right?" He gestured to the shelves. "Everything is re-stocked and I'm willing to leave rather than waste company time and money. Isn't that worth something?"

Cheryl considered this for a moment, glancing at the shelves to confirm that the products had been replenished. "Very well, Shane. Go tend to your... _chickens,_ " she relented without hiding her disgust for the animals.

"Thanks, Cheryl!" Before the woman could change her mind, Shane headed back to the break room to grab his things and exit out the back, where Morris was unlikely to see him leave. He was not about to let that bow-tied bastard keep him from his brood with the Egg Festival tomorrow. As he exited Joja Mart and crossed the bridge into the main section of town, Shane realized he felt much lighter than he had this morning. Was it because he got away with leaving early? Or maybe it was because the Egg Festival felt like _his_ day. The day when the whole town came together and appreciated the product of the hens he raised all on his was still a lot of time left in the day.

"Here I come, Charlie!" he announced to the sky, heading home with a bit more pep in his step.

* * *

Emily began her shift at The Stardrop Saloon like she did every afternoon, cleaning glasses and wiping down counters to make sure they were spotless. _A clean space is a happy place_ , she told herself, winking at her own reflection of the glossy wood of the bar. "Good afternoon!" the blue-haired woman said in greeting to their most frequent customer. Pam shouted back and ordered her usual.

Gus had a rule about Pam's drinks that Emily must follow: the greater the tab, the weaker the beer. The woman had not paid for her drinks in at least a month and she came to The Stardrop Saloon every night. So, of course, Emily had to make the alcohol quite weak compared to the usual product. The barkeep had become skilled at watering down Pam's beers without the customers noticing. Part of the young woman had to wonder how Pam didn't notice. Had she lost her sense of taste anyway? It was hard to tell with Pam. All Emily knew was that Penny's mother had a smoky grey aura that, despite her volume when she spoke, gave off a dull glow. The barkeep honestly worried for Pam and Emily hoped a job would open up for her soon. It must be hard to be out of work for so long.

But the person who worried Emily the most had not yet arrived. She had her own rules about Shane, but they were not because Gus instructed her how to behave. Shane's aura had been getting darker and more opaque in the last few weeks. Sure, Pam's illness with addiction was concerning, but there was more to it with Shane. The intensiveness of his despair alarmed her. The woman swept a few stray stands of hair from her face, wondering if something happened recently to explain the change.

Abigail entered and raised her hand in greeting before she headed over to her usual spot in the game room. Emily could respect that not everyone cared for alcohol. She only liked the drinks that had bright, bold colors and strong fruity tastes. It was a shame Gus did not have more of a variety for her to experiment.

After Sam entered and shouted his "hello," Shane arrived. Emily started filling his pint before he reached the bar. "I guess we made it to the weekend," Shane said leaning on the counter, trying to make small talk. He lifted two baskets of eggs onto the counter. "Final delivery for the week. You know what to do with them, Emily."

Emily smiled at him, handing him his drink. "Of course, dyeing the eggs is my favorite part of the Egg Festival!"

The unkempt man smiled, though his eyes did not do the same. The barkeep's heart sank a bit, but she tried to keep things on a positive note. "So how are your chickens doing, Shane? I'm sure they've been extra busy all week."

Shane nodded in agreement, "Yeah, the hens do great work for the Egg Festival. I'll have to spoil them tomorrow when it's all over," he added, this time the corners of his eyes were in harmony with his mouth. Emily relaxed a bit, realizing that she had gotten through the dense fog of his depressing aura to speak to the person at its core. "I'm sure Gus has been busy getting ready for the festival, too."

The woman in the red dress laughed, "Oh, you know Gus. He's been doing all his prep work well in advance, but that does not stop him from worrying over nothing." She stole a quick look toward the back as Gus' head popped out from the doorway.

"It wouldn't be 'nothing' if the food weren't up to par!" the mustached man countered, waving a piping bag stuffed with deviled egg filling in Emily's general direction. "The food's always the most important part of a festival, besides the people, of course." He grabbed the larger of the two baskets Shane brought and nodded his approval at the weightiness of the container.

"Here's to good food!" Shane raised his glass slightly and toasted the bar owner's sentiment. "Don't go wasting any of my hens' hard work, Gus," he scolded as the older man carried his basket toward the back of the saloon.

Gus grumbled theatrically, "Well if you young folk would let me work, there would no risk of that!" he hollered back, disappearing into the kitchen once again.

Shane did crack a slight smile at Gus' exaggerated performance. Emily felt a bit relieved. Shane seemed to be in a better mood today than he had been the last few weeks. Maybe it was the upcoming festival. It was the time of year for the local poultryman to show off a bit.

The chicken keeper moved to his regular spot between the bar and the fireplace and Emily followed him on her side of the counter to chat. "How are Charlie and the rest of the hens?"

Shane seemed slightly surprised, "Hey, you remembered Charlie's name," he noticed aloud, taking a sip of his beer.

"Of course, she seems important to you," Emily replied. "Your eyes get a little twinkle in them when you talk about your birds," she thought it was sweet how proud he was of his hens.

Shane shifted uncomfortably at the attention. "I wouldn't call it a twinkle..." he muttered, embarrassed.

Her red lips stretched in a smile, "Call it whatever you want," Emily said, cleaning a glass from behind the counter. "It's wonderful to see you passionate about your work!" she told her friend.

"My work?" Shane repeated, considering her words. Sure, caring for his chickens made him happier than working at Joja, but it wasn't enough to make a living in a small town and he was not interested in expanding to house thousands of chickens like the giant corporate farms. His hens deserved the best. Once again, he got the short end of the stick because he could not compete as a small business. The things he cared about were not a valuable enough contribution to society. He sighed, "Yeah... my work," he repeated, feeling down again. Shane down the rest of his beer and handed it to Emily. "Another beer, please."

* * *

Violet had finished all her chores around the farm for the day and had been playing with Bruno and Dusty when she realized she had not checked her mail in a few days. Luckily, it seemed as if she had not missed much, since the two items in the box were dated from that morning. Examining letters further, she noticed one was from Mayor Lewis and the other from Robin. Violet read the Mayor's first.

_Dear Violet,_

_Tomorrow we're holding the Egg Festival in the town square._

_You should arrive between 9 AM and 2 PM if you'd like to attend._

_You wouldn't want to miss the annual egg hunt!_

_\- Mayor Lewis_

Huh, an egg hunt. The farmer had liked those as a child, but since Jas and Vincent were the only children in town, perhaps they allowed everyone to participate. Violet hoped that the adults were at least courteous enough to let the little ones win. The young woman though that kids needed that kind of confidence boost once and a while. Either way, it was good to know that she should get things done right away tomorrow so she would not miss out on her first festival as a resident of Pelican Town.

The next letter was simply a help request. Robin had apparently lost her favorite axe and wanted some assistance looking for it. The last time she remembered using it was when when cut wood south of Marnie's ranch. She looked at the sky and the sun was well above her head. Violet decided she had plenty of time before it was time to head to The Stardrop Saloon.

It took longer than Violet expected to find the axe, but it was in a relatively obscure location. The female farmer supposed that was why Robin could not find it again once she had lost it. Covering the blade with some fabric, Violet tucked the tool away in her bag and returned home to get cleaned up for the evening.

The young woman decided to wear her hair down for the rest of the day, since she had already performed all the tasks that would get her sweaty. Violet also packed the black shirt that Maru lent her. If she was going to be returning items, she may as well give them back all at once. Especially since both of them lived under the same roof. She pet both Bruno and Dusty and gave them each a treat before she headed out toward town. "You doggos enjoy yourselves!" Violet called after them, as the trotted off toward one of the pine grove.

It did not take long to get to the Saloon since she was well rested that day. Violet wanted to make sure to make her rounds before heading over to the pool table, either way. She had a brief chat with Willy before she approached Shane.

"I hardly know you," he said, taking a swig from his pint as she stood in front of him. "Why are you talking to me?" Shane demanded to know.

"Uh... because that's how you get to know people?" Violet offered, somewhat confused by the hostility. _Who spit in his drink?_ she thought.

"Better for you to know me as the unfriendly guy than the town drunk, then," Shane shot back, somewhat sarcastically.

Violet was fairly certain that the role of town alcoholic was technically embodied by Pam, but she did not want to make light of the situation. So, the farmer simply said, "If that's what you want, dude."

Shane growled in frustration, "It's not what I want, it's just all I'll ever amount to!" he threw up his hands in exasperation. "Now go away!"

The farmer obeyed, but posed a question in before she left, "Says who?" Violet then immediately darted away to sit with Leah.

Emily saw Shane's jaw clench as he looked down at his reflection in his drink. "Says me, I guess..." The barkeep leaned over the bar and beckoned him closer. Shane reluctantly obeyed his friend. "What now?" he sighed.

The blue-haired woman snatched the pint from his hand and set it down on the counter top of the bar. "You're the only one who says that stuff to yourself, Shane. We all believe in you - ask anybody in town!" she insisted. "Please stop with this talk, your aura has been so bleak lately." She paused, putting a hand on his arm, "I worry."

Shane's gaze was stuck to the floor, "Fine..." he finally agreed. "I'll do my best."

The bartender straightened up, looking serious. "Now go apologize!" Emily ordered, pointing her thumb toward the table where Leah and Violet sat.

The chicken keeper shook his head and grabbed his glass off the counter, "Don't push things, Emily. I'll get there when I get there."

"So at the festival tomorrow?" the young woman suggested.

A deep sigh escaped from Shane. "Fine, if she's there tomorrow, I'll apologize."

Emily beamed, "That's my Shane!" she said cheerfully, patting him on the shoulder.

* * *

Violet had decided to eat with Leah and Elliott again this week before joining the others for the rematch in the game room. While the topic of last week's conversation had been focused on her, Violet figured it would be less likely since the farmer was more established as a resident of the town.

"So how's your hand?" Leah asked, inquiring about the nettle sting Violet had from their foraging lesson.

Violet rolled her eyes at her own impatience that led to the injury, "It's fine now. Granny Mullner got it all wrapped up for me and it looked much better the next morning."

"You know, I don't really talk to Evelyn much, but I always love the flower beds she maintains around town," Leah told her friends. "She sounds like a sweet old lady."

Elliott chimed in, "Well, her husband is absolutely horrid," he said adamantly. "He cannot help but wag his tongue in complaint every time he opens that ancient mouth of his. After all that his devoted wife does for him!" The long-haired man seemed appalled by George's sour demeanor. "My, if I had a lovely wife beside me for as long as Ms. Evelyn has been by Mr. George's side, I would be entirely gracious!"

"You're always gracious," Leah poked at her best friend, piercing several leaves and topping in her salad to get the perfect bite. "And you sound entirely too polite when you insult someone's character!"

Elliott scoffed and adjusted the knot of his green tie slightly. "Did I not say that he was horrid and ungrateful?"

Leah nodded, "Yes, but the insulting bits get buried in all your other words complimenting Evelyn!" she laughed. "That's why a lot of people don't know how to handle you, Elliott."

"I cannot help that many people have lost the art of eloquent speech," Elliott responded, sipping his wine. "It is as if one cannot be bothered to be creatively expressive anymore."

Violet smirked at her food at the bickering. It reminded her of how she and Bex used to interact. Not in the same way, as neither of them were like Leah or Elliott, but the dynamic was certainly there. "Well, you're an author, Elliott," the farmer stated, "Leah is a sculptor, so words are not her medium of expression." She gestured to each person at the table, "We all express ourselves in the way we dress, too. You - like your wonderfully flowery language - dress more like the wealthy, desirable men in any Jane Austen novel - just with more hair. Leah has a 90s lesbian aesthetic going on with the bare midriff and suspenders, and I... wear a t-shirt and jeans," Violet finished rather sheepishly, not really sure how to describe her attire any other way.

"H-how did you know?" Leah inquired a bit thrown off by the accurate read on her sexuality.

Violet tilted her head, obviously confused, "Know what?"

Elliott chimed in, placing a hand on Leah's. "What my dear friend is trying to ask is how you knew she holds romantic feelings for those of the feminine persuasion."

"Elliott!" Leah shouted, angrily. "You don't just out people like that!"

The man looked puzzled, "You had already done so by asking Ms. Violet how she knew." His dark brown eyes glanced down at Leah, "So unless you harbor a burning desire to woo our new companion, I see no reason to be so upset."

"That's not it, it's just not okay to clarify if someone did not understand the question!" Leah objected, batting his hand off of her own.

Violet blinked, unsure of what to say. She looked back and forth between the two until something clicked. "Oh, okay, so you're a lesbian?" she finally said, directing her question toward Leah. The floral-haired woman seemed oddly pleased, "That was mainly commentary on your attire, but hey, I was right!" Violet chuckled to herself at a memory, "My gaydar is terrible. I had a huge crush on cute guy my freshman year and he had to literally explain to it me that I was barking up the wrong tree."

The author gracefully gestured his hand toward Violet, "Now see, Leah. Violet does not find issue with your attraction to your fellow women whatsoever."

Leah poked at Elliott with her elbow, but smiled appreciatively at Violet. "Just be mindful, Elliott. Not everyone is like you guys," she reminded him. She took a few stabs at her salad. "It's not something you have to worry about as a straight person, but it's not the same for people like me."

"I do apologize, Leah," Elliott said earnestly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I clearly was not thinking of the situation from your perspective."

"Alright, you vain peacock," Leah laughed, tapping his hand to indicate she had forgiven him. "I get it."

Elliott considered Leah's teasing seriously for a moment, "I suppose some manner of bird would suit me, as the males are the more decorated of the species..." he mused aloud. "Though I had never thought of myself in such a manner."

The women giggled as the writer continued to ponder the idea. He jotted a few notes in his tiny book, though where his train of thought had gone, no one could really say. "So how have things been with you both this week?" Violet asked, trying to move the conversation along.

The three of them talked about Elliott's eternal problem with writer's block and Leah's similar issue with finding new sources of inspiration because they both visited the same locations each week. "I think ideas will flow more easily with the change of the seasons. The same landscapes I've already sketched will look so different in the coming months," Leah stated excitedly.

"Ah, yes, the beauty of nature at its finest. The sea alters in appearance so drastically throughout the year," Elliott sighed wistfully. "The brilliant cycle of life, death, and rebirth for us to behold." He held up his glass for a small toast between the trio, "To natural beauty! May it inspire us all in our creative," he paused to wink at his companions, "- and romantic endeavors."

Violet giggled, amused by the poets romanticism, but humored him anyway. Leah just shook her head and drank her wine in silence.

Sam's voice rang out across the bar, "Hey, Violet! You coming or not?" he shouted. "We have a title to win!"

The female farmer excused herself from the table, "I had a marvelous time chatting with you both and I look forward to our dinner date next week," Violet informed the duo. "It seems I have another engagement to which I must attend," she pushed in her chair and gave them both a little wave before heading to the other side of the saloon.

Elliott pointedly tipped his wine glass toward Violet as she left, "See? Ms. Violet puts in the effort of speaking well once and a while."

Leah rolled her slate-colored eyes and took the last bite of her salad, "To humor you, you dork."

The author's gaze shifted back down to the last dregs of his wine. He stared at his reflection in the small pool at the bottom of his glass and sighed, hoping that his toast this evening would somehow bring him luck as well. Oh, how he longed to embrace his beloved Cassandra once more. But he knew their relationship would never be the way it had been again. Too much had changed.


	22. Unhappy Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail contemplates what to do about her feelings for Sam. Sebastian backslides with his smoking habit and it affects his new friendship with Violet. Elliott receives an unwanted invitation. Willy and Elliott have a brief heart-to-heart.

Abigail and Sam arrived at The Stardrop Saloon before their teammates, which meant the two got a chance to chat alone for a while. "So, what do you think the surprise was? Maru wanted Sebastian out of the house for so long!" Abigail wondered aloud.

Sam shrugged guiltily. "I didn't get any more details," he confessed, squinting at the cue ball to better aim his shot. "Everyone knows I can't keep secrets well, so for the sake of the mission, I asked Maru not to tell me." The pole connected with the white ball, which hit the striped orb next to the one he intended. "The less I knew, the better!"

The amethyst-haired woman smiled knowingly. The blond skater was a terrible liar, that was for sure. How could Sebastian ever have doubted the two of them? Sam would not have been able to keep such an important secret from anyone, especially his best friend. Abigail wondered how tonight would go. Would things get awkward with Sebastian? And, if not... what was she going to do about Sam? Should she attempt to pursue a relationship? While Abigail enjoyed his company and the way she felt around him - she did not want to settle down without the chance to explore what else the world had to offer. Then again, having someone with whom to share that adventure sounded like an appealing option as well. She sighed at her own indecision. The women questioned whether or not she should even be the one to make the first move. What if he rejected her?

Suddenly, Abigail was starting to understand why Sebastian never said anything to her. Dwelling on the potential catastrophic fallout was nerve-wracking. Did she dare...? "Hey, Sam," Abigail said, getting the blond's attention. "What do you think of me..." She could feel her heart start to race from the anxiety clutching her chest and her resolve immediately dissipated. Oh, fuck. "...teors?" she finished, cringing at her own cowardice.

Sam straightened up from leaning over the pool table and looked at her quizzically. "What do I think of meteors?" he repeated, clearly confused by the sudden question on space rocks. His brown eyes scanned Abigail, as if looking for a hint to her true intentions. He shrugged. "I mean, anything that's been in outer space is pretty cool," he said. "But unless they've got aliens inside, at the end of the day they're just big rocks."

"Since you asked a question, I think it's my turn," Sam proclaimed.

"Uh, sure..." Abigail fidgeted, trying to apprehend what the young man might possibly ask her.

The spiky-haired blond paused a moment, a pensive look on his face. "Other than the obvious pancakes, waffles, and miscellaneous breakfast foods, can you think of alternative uses for maple syrup?"

Definitely not the kind of question she expected. "Why do you ask?"

The skater sighed. "Well, I really like maple bars, but I don't always wanna put forth all the effort of making them, so I wondered what else I could slather with the stuff for a lazy man's fix."

Abigail laughed. Of course Sam was thinking of food. She tried to think of recipes in which her mother used the sweet amber liquid. "Uh... Well, I've seen my mom use it in salmon glazes. I've put some on my eggs every once and a while, but you said no breakfast food..." Then Abigail suddenly remembered something. "OH! Don't tell, because it's the secret ingredient, but my mom also puts a little bit of it in her mashed potatoes."

Sam looked at her, dumbfounded. "What?! Mashed potatoes." He angled his head away from her, as if Abigail had said something offensive. "You're pulling my leg."

"It's true!" the woman insisted. "Just a little bit for a more complex flavor," she informed her friend, holding her thumb and forefinger in a way to demonstrate a small measurement. "I'll have you try some for a taste test."

He looked doubtful, but shrugged. "Anything for you, Abi," Sam replied with a reluctant grin.

"I'll convert you, just you wait," Abigail vowed confidently.

Their conversation then came to a grinding halt as the heavy scent of tobacco wafted into the room well before either of them caught sight of Sebastian. Abigail's nose crinkled, "Sebastian, what the hell happened? Did you just smoke an entire pack in solitary confinement?" she demanded as he entered the room. "I thought you were tapering off!"

"Too much at once..." Sebastian said cryptically. "Too much change all at once..."

"It must have been one helluva surprise, fam," Sam chimed in, though inconspicuously keeping his distance. "What happened?"

Sebastian's dark eyes turned toward his best friend. "My cave... has windows now," he muttered, barely perceptive above the noise of the bar. "The sun has _infiltrated_ my room."

"Oh, shit. That's practically a death sentence for the local vampire," Abigail said facetiously. Her eyebrows furrowed, "But seriously, what's the problem with that? Didn't you complain about the lack of light in your room all the time?"

She was right, of course. Sebastian had griped about living in a windowless hole in the ground for years. Sam intervened, knowing that could not be all of it. "What else happened, fam?"

"Maru is an evil scientist," the odorous male groaned. "She tricked me and now I have matching curtains! And they made me choose where I wanted to sit for the Friday family meal. Only nowhere but the corner _felt_ right!" Sebastian continued mumbling under his breath about sashimi.

Something was definitely off with their friend, Abigail and Sam realized simultaneously. The two made eye contact across the room, miming various ideas to help their distressed companion, but none seemed suitable. Perhaps they should just try to get things moving along as a distraction? The spiky-haired blond stuck his head out toward the main room of the bar and summoned Violet. "Hey, Violet! You coming or not?" Sam shouted. "We have a title to win!" he added teasingly. Maybe the spirit of competition would snap Sebastian out of it.

Violet strode across The Stardrop Saloon, ready to let Abigail's skill carry them to victory once again. As soon as she got within twenty feet of the game room, however, she abruptly came to a halt as if she had hit a wall. The farmer grumbled to herself, taking a deep breath before grabbing her maple cue. "Let's get this over with," the pastel-haired woman sighed miserably.

So it appeared that neither Sebastian nor Violet wanted to be there, but the reasons were a bit unclear to Abigail and Sam. Did something happen with Violet, too? Were they fighting for some reason? Or did she detest the strong scent of tobacco the hoodie-wearing man emitted that much? After observing for a while, that seemed to be a likely answer. When it was not her turn, Violet would go back to the bar and attempt to chat up Shane. Only someone truly desperate would do that, Abigail thought. The guy was such anti-social grump.

The other three kept their distance from Sebastian for the most part, though Violet certainly much further than Sam and Abigail. The two eyed each other, silently lamenting the backslide in progress compared to last week. About half-way through the game, Sebastian seemed to finally calm down and get into his usual groove. He and Abigail were still in a gridlock, sinking in their respective balls each turn. Sam and Violet's performances also mimicked the prior match. It might come down to the 8-ball again. Or, so he thought.

It was then that Sebastian also noted Violet's frequent absences. His dark eyes scanned the room to find her next to the fireplace with... Shane, was it? Or maybe Sean? He was one of Sam's co-workers and related to the Jas kid that Vincent played with somehow. A young uncle maybe?

As he watched the two interact, Violet's laughter rang out and Shane returned the gesture with a smile. For some reason, it made Sebastian feel... sad. No, it wasn't sadness he felt. What was this emotion? Bah. It didn't matter. What had that guy said that was so funny anyway? Violet leaned closer to Shane as the spoke at one point, holding her cue stick loosely in her hand off to the side. Was she flirting with him? Sebastian felt like something had just sucked the air right out of him.

"It's your turn, Violet!" Abigail called over to her partner. The dark-haired player turned immediately so he would not be caught staring. The farmer gave Sebastian a wide berth as she passed him toward the green velvet table. She seemed anxious to make her shot quickly. Violet did not take any time at all choosing her shot and leaned over the table to take it without hesitation. The purple-striped 12-ball went into the pocket with a clack, but Violet did not smile or celebrate. She had already turned her back to walk toward the fire place. Back to _him_.

Sebastian wondered what he did wrong that Violet was suddenly so disinterested in speaking to him - or even looking his direction for that matter. "I think it's because you're a walking smoke signal right now," Abigail's voice stated from behind him, noticing her friend's distress. The young man turned to see his ex-love interest smiling sympathetically at him. She grimaced, "Last time Violet and I hung out, we had some girl talk and... just so you know, smoking is a deal-breaker for her."

The black-clad male growled, "Why can't she just get over it like everyone else? You guys still hang out with me." Abigail's cerulean eyes glanced over at Violet, too, as she said, "She's lost some loved ones because of it, Sebastian. So I think it's more than something to 'get over' in her experience." The amethyst-haired woman faced her friend now, "And I did defend your case to her when I informed her you've already been tapering off. Then _this_ happened!" She gestured at Sebastian as a whole.

He shot back a defensive look, "What did I do now?" he spat.

Abigail rolled her eyes, "You reek like you just smoked an entire pack in a tiny, unventilated room before you came in here." She crossed her arms, "Sam and I have a long history with you, so we're not going to just drop you like a hot rock, but other people don't know you like we do. Besides, it's different for her. It's not a theoretical loss she's being reminded of like it is with us."

"With us?"

Sam entered the conversation, "We're worried about you, fam," he admitted. "And while we don't wanna nag, we care. You made some great progress so far and today was just a stressful day." The blond shrugged, "Just roll with it and try again. No judgment."

"Why the fuck does it matter whether or not I just smoke once a day or quit?" Sebastian replied angrily. "I make sure to go outside so no one else gets 'hurt' or whatever," he said, clearly frustrated.

"'Cause one of these days..." his best friend responded, putting his arm around Sebastian's shoulders. "We wanna be old badasses with you and we can't very well do that if you're in the ground, bud. How are we going to go on our 50-year reunion tour if we don't have our synth player?"

Sebastian sighed, worn by his friends' obnoxious persistence. "I don't see why you all are worked up over one slip-up. I'll go back to once a day tomorrow." He glanced over at Violet again, still across from Shane. Though, now Emily had joined the conversation.

"To be fair, we weren't making a big deal out of it, just avoiding your stank," Abigail chuckled. "It's someone else's opinion you seem to care an awful lot about."

He sighed, glancing at his yellowing flesh where he held his cigarettes between his fingers. Why did he care so much that Violet was avoiding him? "I needed to take the edge off, just for today..." he said, rubbing the skin as if it would remove the stain.

"Might I suggest Joja cola as an alternative?" Sam flashed a dorky smile and offered him a can on the spot.

"Never in a million years will I drink that trash."

Abigail gave Sebastian a look, " _That's_ where you draw the line?" she asked quizzically. "You're so weird, Sebastian."

Sebastian smiled slightly, glad that his friends still stood by him after all the drama he had caused lately. "And yet, you two still choose hang out with me," he countered, approaching the pool table to inspect the work cut out for him. He was more grateful for his friends than he let on. "Now whose turn is it?"

"Yours. Now quit stalling!" Abigail complained, poking at him with her cue pole.

The recently-fallen champion quickly made his shot successfully and Abigail did the same. Sam, unsurprisingly, did not. Violet came back to the game when called, and once again sank a shot without pausing to find out whether or not she made it. Sebastian found it both annoying and impressive that she was a better competitor when she was being so aloof with him.

It was just down to one ball for the girls. There was little to be done if Abigail made her shot, but Sebastian did his best to make it harder for the girls. It was not enough, however. The amethyst-haired player connected with the yellow-striped 9-ball and it fell into the pocket with a loud clack. "The time has come, magic 8-ball," she announced to her foe, leveling her eyes with the orb to best plan her attack. Ceremoniously, Abigail lined up the cue and thrust the pole, connecting with the white ball. The black 8-ball disappeared into the designated hole, sealing the second straight victory for the girls.

"VICTORY!" Abigail shouted for the entirety of The Stardrop Saloon to hear. "You know, if Violet plays better when she doesn't overthink things, you can come in here as smelly as you want," she teased Sebastian. He gave a weak laugh at the joke, but his heart sank when he stole a look over at the fireplace to find Violet missing. Shane, who incidentally made eye contact with Sebastian, sighed in annoyance and jutted his chin toward the door. _So she left..._ Sebastian realized.

* * *

Violet had gone home early once her team's victory had been decided. While it was rude, her head throbbed with a mind-splitting headache and she desperately needed to lie down and rest. The farmer had never been entirely sure what caused the pain when she encountered the smell of tobacco smoke. Violet remembered getting small headaches as a girl when she visited her grandparents and they were unable to play outside, but it was never so intense until years later. Was she genuinely allergic or was her body's reaction more psychological? Personally, Violet did not care at the moment. She wanted to curl up into bed and pass out, just to escape the pain.

Luckily, Shane had humored her enough to keep a conversation going so she could stay away from the worst of the smell. Though, that wasn't without some nudging from Emily. Either way, Violet could appreciate that once his gruff exterior had been breached, Shane was a sociable guy. He certainly had his own troubles with alcohol, that much was sure, but the frothy liquid in his pint did not physically pain Violet.

As the farmer walked home alone, she sighed. It was such a shame, she thought, that Sebastian's smoking habit was not quite as on the way out as Abigail suggested. Violet like hanging out with him and he had never smoked in her presence before. In fact, he had not lit up at all when he came to stay with her, Violet had noticed. But the way the odor practically rolled off of him this evening made her think twice about her feelings. The young woman knew she could not go through that kind of loss again - and more immediately, she could not deal with these headaches on a daily basis. No, a relationship with Sebastian would never work like this, she told herself decisively. _I can't expect people to change for me, it's not fair._ She just hoped they could find a way to stay friends. Violet would miss their conversations.

When Violet arrived home, she found Bruno alone. Alex must have come by to pick up Dusty earlier that evening. She did a quick scan of the area to make sure no one was around. Human or shadow creature. After unlocking her door, she immediately stripped down to her underwear and left the clothes on the porch for now. The woman did not want to bring any trace of the noxious scent inside if she could help it. Violet headed directly for the bathroom to shower for the second time that day. She wanted to get the smell out of her hair and the rest of her body as well. From prior experience, she knew only then would the headache begin to subside. When she was done, Violet realized she had forgotten to return Robin's missing axe and the shirt Maru gave her. It was too late to go back now. The pain had already taken a great deal of energy from her, anyway. So once she hit the pillow, Violet was out like a light. 

* * *

Elliott returned home later than usual that night. He and Leah had a lot to discuss once Violet left, after all. The author did not want to foist all of his sorrows on a young woman with whom he had recently become acquainted. But his dearest friend lent a sympathetic shoulder to cry upon in his darkest hour. As he removed the gaudily decorated card stock from the inner pocket of his overcoat once again, Elliott shuddered. 

_Howard & Jane Montmorency_

_Request the Honor of Your Company_

_at the Marriage of Their Son_

_Edmund Montmorency to Cassandra DuBois_

_This 27th of Winter, 6:00 PM Sharp_

_Former Dinner and Gala to Follow_

_at the Montmorency Estate_

_Black Tie Attire_

_RSVP by Fall 28th_

_Name: Elliott Montmorency_

_Plus 1?: Yes______ No_______

_P.S. Elliott, my love, I know this must be difficult for you, but I do hope you will attend. I miss you, my darling son._

_\- Mama_

Oh, how the expert calligraphy mocked his sorrows! The brutal portrait of reality rendered him speechless, even when he handed the invitation to Leah across the table at The Stardrop Saloon. The red-head had covered her mouth as she gasped. "Oh, Elliott..." she moaned miserably, knowing what this meant to her best friend. "I'm so sorry." Elliott rested his head upon her shoulder for most the evening after that, nursing his wine and reminiscing days gone by that would never be again, while Leah stroked his head soothingly.

Elliott knew, deep down, that this was bound to happen eventually. It was his unhappy fate to endure. Even his own mother evoked familial obligation to bear witness to the marriage of his former lover to his younger brother. 

The author told his friends in the most respectable social circles that his disinheritance was due of his choice in career, but that was not the truth. It was a mere farce fabricated to spare the honor of the family name. No, the truth was far more scandalous and while it was not his doing, Elliott must be the one to pay the price. The poet sighed once again. "I suppose my love was not enough for you, my dear," he whispered to the embossed letter, as he tucked it away in his desk drawer. The silky-maned man did not have the heart to commit to anything this evening. Instead, he poured himself another glass of wine and stepped outside to gaze at the waning moon. "Even your affections change each evening," Elliott lamented at the lovely disk in the sky. "I know I cannot hope to ever hold Cassandra again, but..." the melancholy man trailed off, his sleeve wet with tears as he buried his face in the crook of his arm. "Why did it have to be _Edmund?_ "

* * *

The old sailor had bunked down for the night, but was unable to sleep. The sound of the sea did not lull him to drift into dreamland, as it usually did. Willy sighed, perhaps it was his age getting to him. Old people did not need to sleep as much, right? Or maybe it was his fisherman's sense telling him to get a line in the water as soon as possible. Grumbling, the bearded man climbed out of bed and grabbed his new pole. As he descended the ladder into the shop, Willy spied Elliott on the beach in front of his little shack. "Awful late for that," the fisherman mumbled. While the young man used a lot of big words he did not understand, Elliott was of the next generation of fishermen. In that way they were kin, and Willy never left kin out high and dry in their time of need. Heck, he still helped his niece with her sm- Well, that was neither here nor there. 

Willy slung his pole over his shoulder and marched up toward the beach. "Ahoy, matey!" he called in greeting to the poet. The sailor was not worried about waking neighbors on the beach, it was only the two of them who dared tempt their mistress the sea. 

Elliott seemed stunned to see Willy at such a late hour, but the older man could tell that his friend had been crying. Must be a woman. They always caused troubles like that. "Join me for a late-night fish?" Willy asked, donning his cap. "I've gotta feelin' in me ol' bones. Now's a good time t'be castin'."

After a moment of contemplation, Elliott nodded in agreement, with as much of a smile as he could muster given his current mental state. "Why, yes, Willy. That is a capital idea." The young man retreated into his cottage quickly to grab his pole. 

The two walked back to the pier and each cast their lines in silence. Willy could appreciate a pal who knew when to clam up so not to scare the fish. It had been a least half an hour with no luck when the fisherman finally spoke, "Woman?" he asked simply.

Caught off-guard, Elliott jumped slightly, bobbing his line. "Ah, yes," he confessed, somewhat embarrassed that his fishing partner found him so easily predictable. "The most beautiful I had ever laid eyes upon."

Willy nodded. He had known the allure of a beauty every so often, but that hadn't happened in years. "I knew a few in me day," the sailor replied with a chuckle. "But none of 'em so temptin' as the sea."

"She is breath-taking, is she not?" Elliott concurred, his gaze fixed upon the dark horizon. "I could stare at the waves all day, if it were not for mortal needs." After a few moments of silence, he then added, "But I am afraid I cannot handle such a fickle love. I require more reciprocity from the object of my affection." He turned his head toward Willy, "I am not as strong as you it seems, dear friend."

The old fisherman chortled, as his bobber disappeared under the water. "Ha! Far easier to let 'em go than t'keep reeling 'em in, me pappy used'a say."

Elliott, meanwhile, did not have a fish on the line and thought it best to reel in his own so as to not disturb Willy's battle. It seemed like a big one from the way the fisherman strained to pull the creature in from the depths. Sure enough, after about ten minutes of struggle, Willy breached the largest halibut that the author had ever seen - about three feet in length, and a hefty weight at that.

The fisherman grinned like a kid in a candy store. "Hoho! This'un's gonna be great eatin.'" Elliott quickly offered a hand getting the enormous fish inside the shop and between the two of them, the fish was dumped into the well under the floor so it could be kept fresh until the sailor was prepared to butcher it. Willy was already listing off different ways of cooking the fish under his breath, but that would have to wait until morning.

"Thank you for the invitation," Elliott said appreciatively, feeling quite exhausted from their efforts. "And for your words of wisdom."

The old sailor shrugged, not quite knowing what it was he did or said that the young man found so helpful. "And thank ya for gettin' this beast in 'ere. I'll be bringin' ya some fillets in the mornin.'"

The author thanked his friend for his kindness and headed back toward his cottage to sleep. Elliott's heart had finally ached enough that it he now felt dull to the pain for a while. Now his body needed rest. 


	23. Egg Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Egg Festival has finally arrived! Maru runs a quick errand for Sam and Abigail. Sebastian is faced with a choice. Violet looks forward to her first event as a resident of Pelican Town.

Emily awoke before dawn, eager to color the eggs for the hunt. It was her favorite spring tradition, ever since she was a girl. While other children scrambled to find the most eggs, Emily always sought out the most intricately designed. The eccentric girl always knew which egg would be hers when she found it. Usually, it was an egg dyed to a deep, lovely jewel-tone. The last year before Emily took on the task of dyeing the eggs, it was a gorgeous deep blue egg that inspired her to dye her hair to its current hue. The young woman knew then that she had to replicate its magnificence.

Before Emily had taken over the task of dyeing the eggs, it had been Mrs. Mullner who decorated them. Evelyn always such a beautiful style, applying beeswax to the eggs before dyeing them, which resulted in almost lace-like pattern on many of them. It was a shame when Granny Mullner could no longer keep her hand steady enough for the intricate work anymore, but Emily had been more than ready to learn from the best. After a few transition years, in which Evelyn provided tips and tricks of the art, the torch had been officially passed down to a new generation. The aspiring textile artist hoped her decorative abilities made Evelyn proud.

Emily sat back in her chair, admiring her work. The early riser had arranged the eggs by color, as one would see in a rainbow. They were exquisite! She beamed, satisfied with a job well-done and carefully set the fragile masterpieces out to dry and away from the kitchen, where they were more likely to get knocked over and shatter. Emily would hate to disappoint the children - and Abigail - after all. Oh, yes, and Mayor Lewis would probably have Violet participate, if only to allow the farmer the opportunity since she had not lived in the Valley as a child.

Emily passed her sister, Haley who was coming into the kitchen for breakfast, on the way back to her room. "Please leave the eggs alone, they need to dry!" she requested as she shut the door behind her. Now that the most important part was finished, she had to prepare herself for the festival.

Haley curled his lip in disgust. "Why would I want to touch your gross eggs anyway?" she replied to the empty room. Though, despite herself, there was one in particular with a bright sunflower pattern by which she was not so repulsed. Emily had a way of doing that. The blonde sighed, pulling some fruit salad out from the fridge for breakfast before she returned to her room to perfect her hair. While the Flower Dance was not today, she still had to look her best, after all. Now, what to wear...?

* * *

Maru returned to the house after her morning errand, the small box of her purchases tucked under her arm. It was lucky that she worked at the clinic and had access to these sorts of things so comparatively easy. Not to mention Harvey's generosity in allowing her to do a quick transaction on a day he was technically closed for business. "I'm glad your brother is taking the next step toward a healthier lifestyle," the doctor told his assistant. "I'm sure he'll see great improvement in the future, thanks to you."

The nursing assistant smiled, "It wasn't my idea, it was Sam and Abigail who thought of it," she replied. "I'm only making the option easier."

Harvey nodded, his mustache twitching as he spoke, "A strong support system is equally important in a lifestyle change like this. I'm sure Sebastian is grateful for you all if he decides to take the plunge." The doctor smiled, ushering Maru out the door. "I'll see you later at the Egg Festival!"

"Sure thing!" the young woman responded, practically drooling at the thought of all the food she wanted to eat. "I can't wait for the deviled eggs."

"Just be sure not to eat too many -" Harvey immediately stopped himself, grumbling about his "doctor's hat" and his inability to remove it. Maru had not stuck around to listen to the rest of his murmuring and now that she was home, she had a new mission. Opening the basement door, the scientist descended the stairs to her brother's room. She knocked, and upon hearing a grunt in response to know that he was awake, Maru entered the room.

"Good morning!" the younger sibling chirped, opening the curtain above Sebastian's bookshelf.

"No," He practically hissed and the lump under the blanket retracted into a ball. Maru was not sure if her brother's objection was to the light, her presence, or the fact it was a town festival day and he therefore had to wake up earlier than usual. If it was the light he was complaining about, Maru could not see how it could possibly make much of a difference while he was still buried under the covers.

She placed the box on his computer desk, "This is from Sam and Abigail," Maru informed her brother. Sebastian inched the comforter off of his face slightly, so that only his eyes peered out. Seeing that she had her older brother's attention, the brunette added, "It comes with the message: 'In case you don't want to be flower repellent today. Enjoy, fam.'" The woman laughed, "I have a feeling Sam was not referring to actual flowers..."

With a heavy sigh, Sebastian finally sat up and gestured to Maru to hand him the parcel. Wordlessly, he peeled off the sticker that sealed the box and folded back the flaps to reveal its contents. "Band-aids and cough drops?" he said doubtfully. "Why the hell would I need these?"

Maru rolled her eyes, "They're nicotine patches and lozenges. So instead of smoking a cigarette, you use one of these to administer the nicotine your body is craving," she informed her brother. "That way, you're not damaging your lungs because you're no longer inhaling the smoke and all its harmful chemicals, and you're not fumigating The Stardrop Saloon. It's all about harm reduction."

"Look, I get it. Everyone wants me to quit." Sebastian shook his head and dropped the box on the floor. "Why are you all being so fucking pushy?" he snapped. Returning to a horizontal position and retreating back under the blanket, the young man dismissed his sister.

The young woman shrugged, "No one's making you do anything, Sebastian," she argued. "We just want to make it easier on you if you decide to give it a try," Maru informed him. In her usual fashion, she gave one last statement before heading back up to the main floor. "We care about you and your well-being."

Maru saw herself out to find a snack upstairs. Waking up earlier made her significantly hungrier than she anticipated, but she did not want to spoil her appetite for all those delicious festival foods.

Sebastian rolled back over to face toward the door, making sure Maru had indeed left. Once he had confirmed he craned his neck over the side of the bed to where he had dropped the box. Huh, he was already on step two of three because he only smoked in the evenings. Other than yesterday's fuck-up, Sebastian could hardly remember a time he had smoked more than two or so at a time. He checked the not-cough drops. Cherry, cinnamon, mint... Those were all decent flavors.

There was a sealed note inside from the doc.

_Hello Sebastian,_

_I realize this is a grey area in terms of doctor-patient relationship, but I hope you won't find this all too bothersome. Maru asked for a recommendation to help assist you on your health journey. If, per our last conversations, you are still using your cigarettes as a coping mechanism for emotional distress I would strongly suggest the patches over the lozenges. The nicotine is administered in small doses throughout the day, so it should help keep the 'edge' off._

_You may experience the side effects listed on the packaging of these products. If any of them manifest in such a way that becomes concerning, please do not hesitate to stop by day or night._

_Should you decide to take the next step, best of luck! Please know that we are all here to assist and support you._

_I look forward to hearing about your progress during your appointment next season._

_Best regards,_

_Dr. Harvey_

So even Harvey was in on this. It was unsurprising, since the doc had been trying to convince him to quit ever since he moved into town and set up the clinic. He did not normally feel the need to smoke right when he got up, unless something interrupted his routine. Then again, he kind of threw all of that out the window after the family meal yesterday. Sebastian sighed, glancing between his pack of cigarettes on the desk beside his computer and the box of goodies from the doc. The programmer thought of things had changed lately and whether or not this was the price he would have to pay. Was that really so bad? The dark-haired man did not want a repeat of the night before to happen again. Sebastian knew in his bones that he wanted to improve his lot in life and only one person could make his decisions for him.

Either way, he needed to get ready for the festival or his mom would nag him about being late. Rolling out of bed, he went into the bathroom to clean up, snatching up the carton of his choosing on the way in.

* * *

Violet had a relatively large harvest to gather this morning. Fresh parsnips, kale, cauliflower, and potatoes! Overall, things were going well with the whole farming business. The young woman had enough to eat, she was making connections with people in town, and she was making money. Slowly, sure, but that was to be expected until Violet could reasonably upgrade and expand her current garden plot and tools.

Once she finished with the crops and re-filled Bruno's bowl, Violet quickly changed into clothing that was not covered in dirt and shook out her hair. When the farmer was finished, she donned her grandfather's straw hat to keep the sun out of her eyes, and headed into town.

The main square was decorated with pastel-colored flags to block off areas of town that were not in use during the festivities. Probably also to mark off the boundaries for the egg hunt as well, Violet thought to herself. The tables were draped with matching green cloths, two of which were enormous service tables absolutely packed with food. The young woman was glad she had purposefully skipped breakfast and worked up an appetite from her work in the small field.

"Good morning, farmer Violet!" Pierre greeted from his booth. At this point, the pastel-haired woman should not have been surprised that the grocer found a way to work, even during a town festival. "I have your special order for dog food in the shop, so don't forget to come by and pick it up before you go back home today."

The female farmer exchanged pleasantries with Pierre and sold the majority of her produce from her most recent harvest. "I have something I think you'll really like," Pierre said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He pulled out a packet of seeds from under the counter. Violet's breath caught in her throat when she realized what they were: strawberry seeds!

"Pierre, you were holding out on me," she accused teasingly, making a grab for the packets. "I love strawberries!"

The shop owner yanked the seeds away and they rattled inside their envelope, taunting Violet. "They are 100 gold each," he stated firmly. "I only just got them in last night."

After some quick calculations, Violet discovered she only had enough for two packets if she wanted to make sure she had enough spending money to replenish the crops she had just sold and do anything else before her next harvest on Tuesday. The farmer huffed slightly, but gave in. "Two packets, please."

The bespectacled man beamed widely, and happily exchanged the seeds for his payment. "I look forward to seeing the end result!" Pierre chirped, waving her on. "Enjoy the festival!"

The female farmer tucked her newly acquired seeds into her bag and swung the pack back onto her shoulders. Shane was the closest person to the booth, so she decided to greet him first. "Hey, Shane, how's it going?"

Unlike usual, Shane did not wear his holey Joja Mart uniform jacket today. Instead it was his bright green shirt that looked like a gridball team jersey. "Hey, Violet!" he replied back with a smile. The farmer was not sure what to think of his chipper mood this morning. It seemed so out of place for her experience with his personality thus far. "Our hens have been working overtime to prepare for this festival," Shane said, gesturing to all the food on the dining tables.

"Sounds like some well-deserved rest is in order, then," Violet chuckled, noticing the sheer volume of dishes prepared for the festival.

Shane nodded in agreement, "They deserve the best tonight... bowls full of sweet yellow corn!" Violet was pleased with how happy the poultryman looked today. She had been so concerned that night out on the dock of the Cindersap Forest lake. Maybe she somehow misjudged the situation?

Violet smiled at him, trying to reflect the level of his excitement. "They did eggs-cellent work, Shane," she complimented him, sprinkling in a bad pun. "And so did you!"

The chicken keeper did not seem to notice and went to enjoy some more of the food laid out upon the tables. Oh, well. Once Shane had moved, however, she saw the leaf-clad wild man that lived up in the mountains near Robin's shop. "Oh, hello there, sir," Violet called over to him.

"No one really talks to me..." he told her, as if he were talking to the wind. "I just come for the deviled eggs." Once again, Violet found herself at a loss for words when it came to this guy. _I was literally just speaking to you,_ she thought.

"Oh, uh... I also like deviled eggs, but I will keep that in mind if they are your favorite," Violet said awkwardly. "I... guess I'll go say 'hello' to everyone else then." The farmer made a quick retreat into the thralls of the rest of the party. She first encountered Gus and Clint at the tables, perusing the options to fill their plates. "I hope everyone's enjoying the food..." Gus shared with her quietly as she filled her own plate. "I've been cooking for days to get everything ready. Fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, chocolate eggs... you name it!"

Violet smiled as she found each of the listed items among the offerings on the tables. "It all looks delicious, Gus. I'm impressed you were able to make so much!" While eggs were not her favorite, the farmer was not about to turn down a free meal and it would be impolite to not even try the food that Gus had spent so much time, effort, and love making. The chocolate eggs and deviled eggs were clear winners for her, however. Violet put a few extra of each on her plate as well as some salad, so she did not eat too much protein and sugar. Once Gus left, Clint leaned over and asked, "Is there any more food?"

The farmer, slightly appalled the the enormous bounty in front of them was not enough for Clint, shook her head, "I... don't think so. Sorry." The smith looked slightly saddened by the news, but said nothing. Violet shrugged, and as she went toward the tables to enjoy her food she encountered Pam.

The curly-haired woman chuckled to herself, tilting her head toward the punch bowl. "I put something nice into the punch," she whispered, though not particularly softly, to Violet.

"Shouldn't we make sure Vincent and Jas don't -" Pam pressed a finger to Violet's lips to silence her, "Shhh... that's just between you and me, kid." The drunken woman did not remove her hand until Violet nodded in agreement. "Good girl!" the older blonde laughed, giving Violet a slap on the back. The female farmer choked slightly, having not expected the force on her back. After a few second of coughing, Violet had recovered somewhat, but not before she caught the attention of the two mothers nearby.

"Are you alright, dear?" Caroline asked with concern. "Was the stew a bit too spicy?"

Violet shook her head, "No," she wheezed slightly. "Just went down... the wrong pipe!" She coughed and Robin handed her a glass of punch. Violet paused, knowing that the drink was spiked, and decided it was worth potentially getting drunk if she did not suffocate. "Thanks!" she said appreciatively. "That helps. I don't normally have a drink this early, but I guess it is a festival day."

Robin, who had actually not had any of the punch yet, sniffed the cup. "Oh, my!" she blushed at the strength of the smell. "You're right," she chuckled, somewhere between surprised and pleased. "I'll have to keep the kiddos away from that one." The red-head looked around at the party-goers and sighed wistfully. "Spring is a busy time of year... so it's nice to have a day off to catch up with friends," she mused. "Don't you agree, Violet?" The carpenter did not wait for an answer, however, before she left to tell Jodi and Marnie to keep Vincent and Jas away from the big bowl of punch. Gus, luckily, had a smaller bowl they could use to make a new, virgin punch for the little ones.

Caroline looked at the kids playing in the grass. Her gaze fixed far off into the distance, as if she were reminiscing. "Abby's always loved the egg hunt, ever since she was a tiny girl," she told Violet. "And it's one of the few innocent things she still enjoys." Her emerald eyes glanced over at Violet, "Abby's always had a strange interest in the occult. I'm not sure where she gets it from..."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Violet assured her new friend's mother, gathering up her plate. "Thanks for checking up on me, Caroline. I'm going to go mingle now."

Before she joined the majority of the crowd, the pastel-haired woman noticed the old man that gave her the sword in the mines lingering near the entrance of the general store. "Marvon, right?" Violet asked hesitantly. She had only met the man once, and briefly at that.

The bearded man's lips curled up in a smile, "Replace the 'v' with an 'l' for 'limp' and you've got it," he corrected her, leaning on his bad leg for emphasis.

Violet panicked, thinking she had insulted the only guy in town who clearly carried a weapon on his person at all times. "Oh, no, sir! I would never say that about anyone!" Her arms flailed in front of her in a side-sweeping motion, back and forth, trying to assure her elder that she had no intention of insulting him. "Really, I would never!"

The man with the eye patch gave a hearty laugh. "Relax, kid. I'm the one who said it," he stuck out his bad leg toward her. "Besides, it's true! And it's a good way to remember, wouldn't you say?"

"I - I suppose, _Marlon_ , sir." Violet had to admit it was a good mnemonic device, even if she worried it was insensitive.

"Even with my bad leg, I never miss a town festival," he proclaimed proudly. "Now quit with the 'sir,' and go be with your friends. I ain't your father."

The female farmer never imagined talking with some of the older folk in town would get so stressful. "O-oh, okay." She needed more chocolate. Chocolate made everything better. After inhaling a chocolate egg, Violet noticed Maru and Penny, who were watching over two ridiculously excited children running around in circles impatiently.

As she approached, Penny actually greeted Violet and she in turn said hello to the pair. _She must be getting used to me!_ the pastel-haired woman thought happily. "The kiddos look like could run a marathon right now," she joked.

Penny smiled at the comment, "The children have been looking forward to this festival for weeks," she told the newcomer. "I'm sure both Jas and Vincent woke up early today, only to be told they would have to wait!" she giggled.

Maru grinned, "Ironically, if they had slept in later, the kids would not have to wait as long," she chuckled, agreeing with Penny's statement.

Violet shrugged. "Well, maybe they'll crash early tonight from all the food and exercise." Just looking at the kids made her a little tired and with all the farming Violet had done lately, that was saying something. "I'm sure the adults are banking on that."

"I always look forward to these gatherings..." the overall-clad woman said, looking around at all the townspeople gathered in the square. "Even if we are not all part of the same social circles in town or agree on everything, we all still take the day off to relax and enjoy each others' company. It makes the valley feel like a real community." She grinned guiltily as she plopped a deviled egg into her mouth. "And the food is always excellent!"

Violet verbalized her agreement, "I can't believe Gus made so much food! I don't know how we're going to eat it all," she told the duo doubtfully.

Penny pursed her lips, like she had a secret, and smiled behind her hand. "Oh, trust me. It doesn't go to waste with everyone here the whole day. You'll be surprised how much we can eat!"

"I suppose if we are grazing all day," Violet mused.

The red-head turned her gaze back toward the children. "I hope either Vincent or Jas win the egg hunt this year, I always feel so badly for them when they lose to Abigail."

The farmer's jaw dropped slightly at this comment. "You mean Abigail still participates? And she doesn't let the kiddos win?" Violet was slightly appalled.

Penny looked embarrassed for having said anything. "Yes, well... Maru and Sam technically do as well, but..." The ginger hesitated, but then added, "I suppose it's just a difference of opinion on how to best approach the situation."

 _Oh, hell, no._ Violet looked over to the kids again, "I'm going to go talk to the children," the farmer informed the two women. She had a mission in mind.

"Best of luck!" Maru said around a mouthful of egg.

As Violet approached the kids, Vincent nearly collided with the farmer, but dodged at the last possible moment. The boy flashed a goofy smile, that Violet realized was not unlike his older brother's, just smaller. "When does the egg hunt start?! I'm so excited!" he demanded to know, jumping up and down as she spoke.

"Take it easy, kid," Violet chuckled, trying to make sure the overzealous child did not knock her over. "I'm sure Mayor Lewis will let us know when things are ready."

Vincent frowned at this information, then continued to jump his circuit on the lawn of the square.

Jas pouted, "I hope I can find some eggs before Vincent takes them all..." folding her arms across her tiny body despondently. So maybe her idea would work after all...

Violet knelt down to her level. "So I guess what that means is you're going to need a buddy."

The little girl tilted her head quizzically. "Isn't that cheating?" she asked.

The female farmer tapped her forefinger on her chin, "If I were helping you look, probably. But think of it more as using a prosthetic - or a mecha suit!"

"A what?" Jas blinked, obviously confused.

Violet put her hands on Jas' small shoulders, "You get to ride on my back and tell me where to go," the woman explained. "I won't find any eggs for you, but I'll be your longer, faster pair of legs. How does that sound?"

Jas' dark eyes sparkled at the proposal. "You mean it?!" she squeaked. Violet hushed her discreetly and pulled the little girl aside.

"We have to keep this a secret until the egg hunt starts, or someone might try to break up our team, okay?" the farmer winked conspiratorially. "Deal?"

The pig-tailed girl held out her pinky and Violet hooked hers to Jas' to seal the promise. "I'll report for duty when the hunt starts, Captain!" the pastel-haired woman said theatrically, saluting the little girl. "See you then!"

The child giggled, and went off to play with Vincent again until they were summoned for the big event.

Violet, in the mean time, wandered over to Elliott and Leah, who stood chatting nearby. "Morning!" she greeted her artsy friends. "How's it going?"

Elliott looked like he had not slept, but his smile seemed as brilliant as ever. "Good morning, Ms. Violet! Beautiful day for festivities, would you not agree?" It was basically perfect weather, Violet could not deny that. She could not help but wonder if anything was wrong, however.

Leah seemed to notice Violet's scrutiny and tried to assist her best friend, "Mmm, this fruit punch is unusually good!" she interjected, surprising both Elliott and Violet. Luckily for Leah, the female farmer took the bait. "I think that's because it's a little... slutty, if you know what I mean, she laughed.

Elliott looked horrified at Violet's verbiage, but Leah laughed, "Oh, so Pam got to it again this year, huh? No wonder!" the red-head said. So this was a regular occurrence, Violet realized. Good to know and keep in mind for future events, the young woman thought.

"So, Elliott, how is the writing going?" Violet inquired politely. Maybe this would give her answers about his condition.

"Taking breaks from work can make you more productive in the long run," Elliott stated mechanically, as if from a script. He sighed forlornly, glancing at Leah, "So I have committed myself to rest and recuperation for the next few days while my heart -"

"I am intervening as you requested, Elliott," Leah cut him off. "I think you need some of this slutty punch and some good food. C'mon," she ordered, grabbing him by the sleeve. Violet, left talking to no one, stood there wondering what prompted such odd behavior from the two of them. It would definitely be something to address next Friday, if they did not hang out again before then.

Violet spent a while drifting from group to group, mingling and drumming up conversation. She learned that Emily was the one who dyed the eggs each year and had a hobby of dyeing and sewing her own clothing. Jodi was relieved to get most of the day off as other adults would keep an eye on her youngest, who loved the egg hunt more than life itself, it seemed. The brunette was worried that Kent's absence would effect Vincent's behavior, and while it had in some ways, Vincent appeared to be like any other young, happy boy. Violet noticed the sad smile on Jodi's face when she spoke about her husband. The farmer hoped that Kent would return home safely - and soon.

Marnie, Demetrius, and Mayor Lewis all stood around near the center of the square, discussing relatively boring topics, like why people eat eggs at all. George, nearby with his wife Evelyn, echoed the sentiment, but did not join in the larger conversation. The man in the wheelchair grumbled about the happiness of those around him. Evelyn, on the other hand, simply said, "This festival has been a tradition for as long as I can remember." She smile, the wrinkles on her face stretching with the gesture, "Tradition connects us with both the past and the future... it's comforting."

"I never thought of it that way," Violet realized, acknowledging that people in the valley would likely be doing this long after any of them were gone. It was both surreal and quaint to think that kids a hundred years from now would be just as excited as Jas and Vincent. "Huh..." The female farmer did not stick around, though. George did not seem in a mood to speak with anyone but his wife.

Alex and Haley looked like two peas in a pod next to one another. The jock held a plate in his hand with at least half a dozen eggs' worth of food on it. "I try to eat at least three eggs every day," he explained when he saw the farmer's face. "I gotta load up on days like today, though. I need that protein for my legs."

Without thinking, Violet glanced down to see that Alex's legs were relatively scrawny in comparison to the rest of his well-muscled body. "Did you skip leg day?" she asked teasingly.

The athlete frowned, "I do squats and presses," he insisted.

"Okay, but do you run?" Violet countered. "All that that muscle is going to slow you down, otherwise."

The brunet thought for a moment, "Muscle is what helps you go faster," he argued. "Everyone knows that."

Violet sighed, realizing she was not the person to get through to Alex. "Why don't you ask Maru about red muscle versus white muscle? I'm sure she could explain it better..." The spiky-haired man considered this a moment, "I could use some muscle training tips if I'm gonna go pro..." he thought out loud, "but I'm already pretty great."

The farmer shrugged, "It's your call, dude." Haley, completely bored of the conversation that did not include her sighed audibly.

"This festival is alright..." she stated, clearly disinterested, "but what I'm really looking forward to is the Flower Dance."

"Oh, I've heard that's the one with the white dresses and dancing," Violet replied. She decided to at least make an effort with Haley today. Maybe she would lighten up a little once you got talking to her, like Shane had the previous evening.

Haley smiled, "And of course, the most lovely woman in the valley is crowned the Flower Queen!" she informed the farmer, practically bubbling over with delight.

 _Ah, so there's a beauty contest of some sort. That's what Haley wants: recognition._ The pastel-haired woman smiled, "I assume you are the defending champion, then?"

The blonde flipped her hair, revealing her bare shoulders over her tube top. "Of course, farm girl. Who else would it be?" Violet decided not to touch that topic with a ten-foot pole. Violet had expected Alex to be drinking in all that Haley had to offer, but he had wandered off to speak to Maru and Penny of all people. _There's a surprise..._ the female farmer thought to herself. _Maybe he does want to learn more about his muscles._

Haley, who also noticed Alex's absence immediately abandoned her conversation with the newcomer to retrieve her friend. Violet was incidentally grateful for the escape from the self-absorbed blonde. The young woman had enough of those in her past already. Harvey at least had a decently interesting story to tell, but half-way through, the doctor realized he had slipped into lecturing. "Oops... I should take off my Doctor's hat for the time being," he chuckled, somewhat nervously. It was like the guy did not know how to talk to people without the doctor persona. Violet wondered how long it would take to chip away at that before she got to the real "Harvey."

She discovered from Willy that he was the one to hide the eggs. "Sometimes I'll hide an egg too well and no one finds it..." he chuckled under his breath. "Well, until summer rolls around. Then the hot air starts to bring out the rotten smell..." Violet did not want to imagine how rancid that would get in the summer.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen this year," she replied. The farmer certainly did not want to be the person to find any such egg. She hated the smell of rotten eggs, but then again, who didn't?

Finally, Violet reached her pool table buddies. "How's it going, everyone?" she called in greeting.

Poor Sam looked miserable. His eyes were puffy and his nose was visibly dripping. "Ub... my doze..." he explained through clogged sinuses. "Allergies." Violet dove into her bag and offered the blond some tissues. "Maybe ask Dr. Harvey about some allergy meds?" she skater accepted them graciously, "I did. I took one about twenty minutes ago. It should kick in soon, I hope." Then Sam excused himself to blow his nose away from everyone else.

Abigail was fired up for the egg hunt, more so than Violet had expected. But, then again, from what she heard from Penny, Abigail showed no mercy to the kids when it came to competitions. "Searching for eggs is like going on a treasure hunt!" she proclaimed. "And I am the ultimate hunter!" The amethyst-haired woman went on to proclaim her prowess at all sorts of festival events, with the exception of - what Violet understood to be a maze of horrors for Spirit's Eve. Hm... That sounded interesting. Violet looked forward to the holiday. It was one of her favorites.

Violet noticed that today she had no problem around Sebastian. If she were so vain, the new farmer might have even thought he went out of his way to ensure that he did not smell like tobacco smoke today. While his hoodie was still a black one, the young woman could tell it was a different one by the way it hugged his body. Violet could appreciate physical aesthetics. There was no crime in that. "Is the hoodie new?" she asked him casually.

He grimaced, "You could tell?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't think anyone would."

The farmer smiled, "It actually fits!" she said, trying to compliment him, but as soon as the words came out, she realized Sebastian might take it the wrong way. "Uh... what I mean to say is... the other one is just bigger. Not that you're bigger, but it's more casual and this one is more tailored to your body. It looks nice and-"

Abigail stepped in. "Hold on there, girl. Relax," she said, grabbing Violet's shoulder. The grocer's daughter laughed at the farmer's back-tracking. "You're going to short-circuit yourself."

Sam, who had just returned to the circle, looked at the trio quizzically. Sebastian found a sudden fascination with a bird in the sky and a case of instantaneous sunburn by the coloration of his face. Violet, equally afflicted despite her hat, stood in wide-eyed silence while Abigail stood next to the newbie with a wide, satisfied grin. She winked at Sam, who realized something must have happened in his absence, so he tried to get the conversation moving again. "So how are you liking your first festival, Violet?"

As if the words finally allowed Violet's brain to re-wire itself into cognition, the pastel-haired girl smiled. "It's a lot of fun to just spend time chatting with everyone," she replied, "and you can't beat free food." The woman's dark blue eyes scanned the area, "So do you all have any other festival traditions besides the feast and the egg hunt?"

Sebastian, too, seemed to have recovered from his intense distraction. "We used to do a rotten egg toss..." he told the newcomer. "Mayor Lewis put an end to that pretty quick."

Violet laughed nervously, "Oh, man. I can't imagine getting pelted with rotten egg yolk. Gross!"

The spiky-haired blond cackled, "You should have seen the look on Lewis' face when he tried to stop the last one we did. He accidentally got right in the line of fire to scold us and WHAM! Right in the face."

The farmer could not help but laugh at the image. "Ew, I bet it got all in that mustache of his," she cringed, imagining the smell.

"And all over his favorite hat," Abigail chimed in with a satisfied smirk at the memory. "Which apparently looks the same as his casual-wear hat, but who can tell but him?"

Sebastian sighed, "Yeah, I think I remember he threatened to sue us for some bogus reason until my mom stepped in and said something to him. I'm not really sure how that one got resolved, now that I think about it."

"You think your mom has some dirt on him?" Abigail conjectured excitedly. "You know the guy has to have something he's trying to hide. He's been mayor way too long."

Violet contributed her opinion, "Oh, I have no doubt about that. There are lots of things in ill-repair in town and he says there aren't any funds to fix it all, but from what I can tell, _nothing_ has been fixed in years."

Sam joined in, "Yeah, like he totally shut down my skate park idea because there were 'building projects to address first,' but nothing has happened!" he complained.

"Has he really run for mayor unopposed for over twenty years?" Violet asked curiously. "I mean, no one even tried to primary him as a joke?"

"Oh, we entered Sam once," Sebastian revealed, "but he was still under 18, so it technically didn't count." He shrugged his shoulders, "It's just another part of Pelican Town's 'tradition," he muttered.

The farmer got a determined look in her eyes, "Well, we're going to find a challenger for him this year!" she declared. "If only for the sake of scaring him into making some actual improvements around town."

"That's kind of devious, Violet," Abigail reflected with a mischievous smirk. "I _like_ it!" she said, adding her stamp of approval to the idea.

It was then Mayor Lewis approached the group of four. "Enjoying yourself, Violet?" he asked. The quartet had to wonder if he had overheard them or his presence was entirely coincidental.

Violet nodded, "Yeah, I'm having lots of fun," she said sweetly. "Does this mean it's time for the egg hunt?"

Lewis adjusted his cap, "Right you are, Ms. Violet!" He gestured toward the rest of the townsfolk in the square. "Gather 'round, everyone. It's time to get started with the main event: the annual egg hunt!"


	24. Changing the Norm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet and Jas team up for the egg hunt. Abigail makes a vow for next year. Sebastian and Violet chat in the shade of a tree.

Everyone gathered around the center of the Square for the egg hunt, though mainly to spectate. The participants, Vincent, Jas, Abigail, Maru, Sam, and Violet all gathered in a half-circle on the side opposite the Mayor. "It's time for the highlight of today's festivities... The Annual Spring Egg Hunt!"

The children jumped with excitement now that their waiting was coming to an end. "Calm down now, kiddos. You're going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize," he instructed the youngest of the crowd. Lewis stroked his mustache as everyone settled into their positions, "The rules are simple," he stated loud and clearly for all to hear. "I will announce when it is time to start. You all have half an hour to find as many eggs as possible. Once the whistle blows, you are not to collect any more eggs and you must report back here at the center of Town Square. The one with the most eggs in their basket, wins." Lewis looked around. "Is everyone ready?"

Violet made eye contact with Jas and winked, which the little girl returned with a giggle. The Mayor raised his hand dramatically, then dropped it as if he held a flag. "Let the egg hunt begin!" Abigail and Vincent immediately went sprinting off in different directions while Maru and Sam half-heartedly sauntered around. The farmer dropped into a crouching position and shouted, "Let's go, Captain!" and Jas hopped onto Violet's back with a gleeful smile.

Luckily for the farmer, Jas was still relatively light so she did not think this was going to be an issue. Meanwhile, the unexpected piggy back ride received a laugh from several spectators, several of whom were quite surprised by the tactic.

"Giddy up!" the child shouted, pointing toward the fence line around Jodi, Sam, and Vincent's house. "I see an egg!" It was a bright pink, polka-dotted, and straight ahead.

"Target in sight, Captain Jas," Violet reported, running over to the egg to retrieve it. Violet bent over to grab the egg and handed up to Jas, who placed it in her basket. "Now go that way!" Jas ordered, pointing westward into the yard beyond. Violet did as instructed and the duo found several eggs surrounding the two houses. They were up to four!

"Where to now, Jas?" Violet inquired, looking for some direction from her pilot. "Let's check near the water!" she ordered and the farmer trotted east toward the river. They found one egg near the sewer entrance, one nestled in the tall grasses near a tree, and one on the bridge toward the beach. Seven was a pretty good number, but Violet could tell they were running out of time.

"Oh, Violet!" Jas shouted excitedly, practically hopping off of the woman's back, "I see one! Go!" The farmer did not yet see the target Jas had in mind, but she followed the tiny finger in her peripheral vision and sure enough, there was one by a tombstone in the grave yard and another just beyond that.

Violet's strength was flagging. Sure Jas did not weigh much, but after nearly half an hour of running around with another person on her back was exhausting. But she could not disappoint Jas. When the child spoke up about another egg hiding on the other side of the hedge, the floral-haired woman grit her teeth and pushed herself on. Their final egg was just where Jas said, next to the tree that Penny often read beneath when the weather was pleasant.

The whistle blew and Violet dropped to her knees. "I'm afraid I'm outta gas, Jas," she confessed, panting heavily. "Request to rest right here, Capt'n."

"Okay!" Jas beamed and the little girl obliged, thanking Violet for being a great "mega shoot." The pig-tailed child skipped off toward town, seemingly unencumbered by the basket full of highly decorated eggs. For a moment the farmer let herself flop to the ground and lie in the grass, enjoying the leaves rustling in the tree above her. The young woman shut her eyes and inhaled slowly and deeply as she placed her grandfather's straw hat on the ground beside her. _I could get used to this,_ she decided. Maybe not giving half-hour piggy back rides to local children, but certainly all that life in Pelican Town had to offer. The warm sun filtered gently down through the broad leaves, creating beautiful patterns on light on her eye lids. The breeze softly tousled her hair and caressed her skin and the grass beneath her body felt soft... Violet felt herself drifting off from exhaustion, but she did not care. She felt so at peace.

* * *

The contestants for the egg hunt had all returned to the center of town for the official count. Well, all but one contestant, but from the way the hunt started it was clear that Violet herself was not participating in the traditional manner. The farmer had left her basket here in the Square, after all. So the Mayor did not feel the need to wait for Violet's return. "Wow, look at all those eggs!" he said, feigning surprise. "Now if only I could get your kids to pick up litter this efficiently, we'd have the cleanest town this side of the Gem Sea!" he and a few of the older generation laughed at his joke, but no one under the age of forty seemed to think it was funny. "And now, the winner of this year's egg hunt..."

Abigail, who had not witnessed the teamwork from the farmer-child duo, fully expected her name to be called and stepped forward to accept her prize.

However, Lewis smirked and wagged a finger at the eager young woman, "I'm afraid not this year, Abigail." He paused for dramatic effect, or perhaps to watch the amethyst-haired woman's jaw drop in surprise. "Jas!"

The tiny girl squealed with delight and bounced up and down as if she were a Pogo stick. "Jas is this year's winner with ten eggs. Congratulations!"

The self-proclaimed treasure hunter was fuming, but she wisely decided not to direct her frustration on the little girl who somehow defeated her. Abigail stomped off to rejoin her friends. "I can't believe I lost!" she grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "To a little kid, no less!"

Sam chuckled, "Oh, I can believe it, but I think that's because Jas had a winning strategy this year," he informed his female friend. He winked at Sebastian who smirked slightly off to the side, well away from Abigail in case she decided to flail about at all, as she often did when she was frustrated.

Abigail paused, clearly confused. "What did she do?" the woman asked curiously. Now she had to know. Maybe she could incorporate some of the elements into her own strategy for next year.

"She hitched a ride with Violet," the blond said, imitating the crouching position Violet took to accommodate Jas.

"That's cheating!" she complained, her sleeveless vest flapping furiously as she moved about in agitation.

The skater smirked, "The spectators agreed that it was fine since Violet and Jas were moving as one unit. If they had separated and then combined their eggs into one basket, Lewis would have disqualified them." He paused, "Though really, there was nothing in the rules the Mayor reviewed beforehand that would have disallowed either strategy, but now I think he's going to make sure to be more specific come next year's hunt."

While Sam was right, Abigail still felt cheated. As childish as it seemed to others, the young woman felt a sense of pride at her previously undefeated winning streak in the egg hunt. She sighed, still annoyed, but resigned to the reality of the situation. Abigail turned to Sam, "So next year, you're mine!" she declared, pointing her finger to his face. Her pale face flushed when she saw the wolfish grin on Sam's face.

"Oh, yeah?" he replied. "How so?"

Though Abigail's cheeks were already a bit colored from all the running she did, Sam could see her turn a shade or two darker. "We - we're a team next year, got it?" she clarified. "I have to reclaim my title." Her light blue eyes darts around, wondering how Sebastian had taken this sudden declaration after his recent rejection, but he was no where to be found. Abigail was half relieved and half confused. "Where-?"

"I suspect he went to go find the missing half of Jas' winning team," he told his friend with a wink. "Shall we get you something to eat or drink, oh runner-up queen?" Abigail shot him a deadly look, to which Sam could not help but laugh. "Hey, don't slay the messenger. I'm just trying to make sure you keep up your strength to win back that title!"

Bashfully, Abigail did not reply, but instead tugged at his demin jacket sleeve. "Fine," she finally said, heading toward the table. "But I get first dibs on chocolate."

Sam smiled, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Abi."

* * *

Violet was half-asleep when a shadow blocked the sunlight from reaching her eyes completely. For a moment, she thought it was a passing cloud until she heard the rustling of shoes on grass. "Please, Jas," the farmer begged with a moan. "Ultra Violet Epyon needs to recharge her batteries. Five more minutes..."

"Gundum, huh?" Sebastian's laughter rang out into the calm stillness like birdsong. "Wow, you are a nerd." Violet's dark blue eyes flew open, and his inky-black eyes reflected in hers. He was slightly crouched over her, his head tilted to the same side he parted his bangs, which drifted along with the current of the wind.

Violet propped her upper body up on her elbows, so she was not completely prone. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.

"You were missing from the award ceremony," Sebastian informed her, sitting down next to her in the shade of the tree. "Jas won, I'll have you know."

The farmer relaxed slightly, lying back down on the soft lawn. "That's good," she said, closing her eyes again and exhaling to soothe her nerves. "At least I'm not exhausted for nothing."

Sebastian chuckled, "Maybe not, but I'm pretty sure Abigail swore vengeance for next year's egg hunt." He leaned up against the bark of the tree trunk, letting his legs stretch out before him.

Without opening her eyes, Violet simply said, "That's alright. Jas won like she wanted and Abigail got the challenge she wanted." The farmer grinned like she got away with something. "And hell, I got to stir things up around here. I have no complaints."

The corners of Sebastian's mouth curved upward slightly, thought Violet could not see. "Do you think Abigail will still want to be your partner next weekend?"

Violet's eyes fluttered open for a moment at the realization that Abigail may indeed break up their undefeated duo in retaliation. While Violet would not actually be offended, it was funny to think it might happen. She rolled over in the grass to lie on her side, facing him. "You think Abigail might do that?" she queried her friend. "Well, if so, I'll have to test my luck with either you or Sam."

If Sebastian responded, Violet did not hear. It was so difficult to keep her eyes open. Between the general watering of her field, the crop harvest, and the fact that she literally carried Jas throughout the entire egg hunt, Violet felt that all she could do was lie there any enjoy the soft pulse of the life around her. From her spot under the tree she could barely hear the low hum of the festivities in the square. She was not sure how much time had passed before she broke the silence. "Do you ever just... lie down in the grass just to recover?" she asked her companion.

The young man sounded puzzled, "Recover?" Sebastian repeated quizzically.

The woman nodded, her eye lids still shuttered. "Like... you've spent so much time trying to be what everyone else wants that you don't know how to find your center - the real neutral 'you' - again. The 'you' before you started worrying about all the stuff that doesn't matter in life..." Violet buried her fingertips in the soft earth and she sighed, "The shade of a big tree on a warm, sunny day is the perfect medium. I just feel like... I'm slowly becoming 'me' again. And I think it's from living here in this valley, in this town with all these great people, and letting myself get close..." she trailed off for a moment, as if she suddenly forgot how to speak.

Sebastian considered her words and let his head rest against the rough bark of the tree. He supposed there was some merit to the idea that the life of the valley might help someone reset and refocus. Though, for him personally, there was more to it than that. Why had Violet stopped when she mentioned letting herself get close? Close to what? He glanced over at the farmer. Or... maybe to whom? Was she just as scared as he was?

The pastel-haired woman propped herself up on her elbow, so that she could better see her companion. When their eyes met, Violet finally said. "I wanna apologize for last night." She lowered her head, "The way I shut down wasn't fair to you, especially because I didn't explain myself. You've been a great new friend and I -"

Sebastian held up a hand and cut her off, "Forget about it," he told her. "Abigail gave me the gist. You've lost some people you love, right? Because of their... life choices?" he continued, reluctantly.

Violet nodded solemnly. "Yeah... Both my paternal grandparents. They weren't really even old yet. Just barely in their fifties." Her dark blue eyes glanced up at Sebastian sheepishly, "I don't know if it's an allergy or just a psychological reaction, but I get these terrible headaches whenever I smell a strong whiff of tobacco smoke." Her gaze shifted to a grasshopper nibbling on a blade of grass in front of her. She tried to coax it closer to hold it. "I should have told you what was going on with me, rather than completely ignoring you all evening and then darting out of there as quickly as possible."

"Well, you're not the only one who's bothered by it," he stated in resignation. "My whole family, Sam and Abigail, Dr. Harvey... They all tried to convince me to stop completely over the years and I just didn't care enough." He pulled one knee closer to his body to rest his head upon, "I guess I've always used it as an out and I was - Uh, I don't know - afraid to get rid of the crutch." Sebastian tugged at his bangs as he spoke. "Non-smokers typically don't want to be around me when I take out a cigarette, so I guess it was a way to drive people away when I wanted - or needed - space to be alone. And on the other side of that same coin, I could try to convince myself it was the tobacco and not _me_ that the people around me were avoiding."

He paused, realizing that Violet's eyes were on him. Oh, shit. He had gotten more personal than he intended. Did she think he was being weird and oversharing? "I mean, the nicotine sure as hell doesn't hurt either," he said, trying to backtrack into a less emotional reason. "It helps calm me down and focus when I'm stressed. But things have changed so... I guess I'll give it a shot."

The farmer sat up, her eyes still fixated on Sebastian. "Give what a shot?" she wondered aloud.

The raven-haired man sighed, and rolled up his left sleeve all the way up. When he reached behind himself as if going to scratch his back, he pointed to a small, shiny patch of skin on the back of his upper arm. "I hear these things help," he said, avoiding Violet's gaze.

"Is that... a nicotine patch?" The young woman could not help but notice the rest of his bare arm, but Violet did her best to keep those thoughts at bay. Violet tried to restrain the relief in her voice. "You're trying to quit?"

Sebastian pursed his lips, obviously feeling self-conscious. "Y-yeah..." he answered the newcomer, rolling his sleeve back down. "I figured if someone as cool as you wanted nothing to do with me last night, maybe it was time to try to kick the habit for good."

Violet did not know what to say and for a moment the two sat in awkward silence. She could hardly believe that her actions had so much influence over another person. Did her opinion of him matter that much to Sebastian. The farmer was relieved that her new friend was trying to quit, but at the same time she was both terrified and flattered at the potential implications. "I..." Violet began.

The patch-wearer exhaled audibly and began to stand up. "Don't worry," he assured her, offering a hand to help her up, though still avoiding her gaze. "It's... been a long time coming. A lot of things happened yesterday, so I had some introspective shower thoughts this morning before I made the decision." He muttered under his breath about something else that Violet could not quite hear.

The female farmer grabbed her grandfather's straw hat with one hand, placing it on her head, and took the offered hand in the other. Both Violet and Sebastian must have underestimated how much force was necessary to pull her up, because the pastel-haired woman was now practically inches from Sebastian's face. He looked tired, more so than she had ever seen him look. But, at the same time, there was a light in his ink-black orbs that was not there before. Violet trembled slightly at the way his eyes drew her in. Neither of them could seem to look away. The female farmer felt a twinge of panic when she realized she was beginning to cross into territory for which she had not yet prepared herself. She cleared her throat, "Like what?" Violet asked, trying to back-track to the conversation portion of their interaction.

Sebastian tucked his hands into the pocket of his hoodie as he explained the surprise of new windows in his room when he got home, his conversations with his family members, and the general consensus that they seemed to at least be trying. He was not sure how long the efforts would last, he disclosed, but it was something. Of course, the man left out certain details, especially when it came to his sister. The man could see the excitement practically spilling out of Violet. "I'm so happy for you!" she said in a congratulatory manner. "I hope this is just the start for you and your family getting closer."

The raven-haired male shrugged, "We'll see," he responded with the non-committal gesture, kicking a bit of dirt on the ground with the toe of his boot. "It's only been a day. I'm not going to hold my breath just yet."

Violet nodded, but he could tell from the way her eyes lit up she was going to continue the aspiration on his behalf. Well, the new girl could probably cover hoping for the both of them. For now he was going to stay pessimistic. If he were wrong, at least he would be pleasantly surprised, rather than disappointed.

The rest of the festival-goers had not seemed to notice the pair's absence. However, when Jas caught sight of Violet she ran over to her. "I won!" the little girl proclaimed, twirling around to show off her new straw hat. "Emily even gave me a ribbon to decorate it!" A bright pink ribbon now banded the crown of the straw hat, with a long tail cascading off the edge of the brim. "Do you like it?"

The farmer knelt down to Jas' level. "Of course, it suits you so well!" she said to the little girl. Jas gave her a hug and another "thank you" before heading off to play again.

Sebastian was intrigued by the gentle, vulnerable side of Violet exhibited in her behavior today. The way she dozed in the green of the grass under the tree, she looked so serene. Then Violet trusted him enough to remain so at ease in his presence afterward and offered an apology for her shunning him the night before. Perhaps that's why he shared more of his thoughts than he originally planned when he considered the possibility of this discussion early that day. Why was it so easy to talk to her?

Then there was the other problem. He had accidentally pulled his arm in too close to his body when he helped Violet up off the ground. Their bodies had been almost touching and her eyes... They had both gotten lost for a moment. How long had that moment lasted? Seconds? Minutes? His heart still palpitated in his chest, but then again, that was a potential side effect of his nicotine patch, right? Sebastian had never noticed how long her eye lashes were, or how cute it was that she had to look up at him slightly. It made her sapphire eyes catch the light filtering in from the leaves of the tree above them, despite the hat she wore.

The black-clad man exhaled sharply, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. _Not now,_ he told himself. _It's too soon after Abigail's rejection. Not to mention you've only known her for barely more than a week..._

For the rest of the party, Sebastian busied himself by talking to other people, including his mom and Demetrius. He promised himself he was going to make an effort, even if just a small one. Every once and a while, he would try to catch a glimpse of the farmer across the Square and sometimes - though he was sure it was his imagination - he thought he caught her stealing glances at him, too. It must have been a coincidence.

The party was coming to an end when Violet remembered her bag she left at one of the tables when she first arrived. _I need to give Robin back her axe!_ she thought, realizing that people were beginning to disburse and she did not want to force Robin to wait until they saw each other next. "Hey Robin!" she called out, as the ginger and Demetrius were heading toward the mountain trail toward home. "Wait up! I have your missing axe."

The carpenter smiled thankfully, "Oh, that's great news. I hoped it would turn up," she said, taking the tool from the farmer. "I didn't expect to get it back during the festival, but I promise to pay you the reward next time I see you, okay?"

Violet shook her head, "It's fine. It's your axe," the young woman replied.

Robin tsk'd. "Hey, don't devalue your work. Finder's fees are legitimate," she advised the shorter woman. "And as a professional, you can't sell yourself short, no matter what that silly company you used to work for says, got it?"

Word must have gotten around that Violet was a former Joja Corp. employee. "Yes, ma'am," Violet relented politely. Her dark blue eyes scanned the area for Robin's daughter. "Is Maru still around?" she asked the red-head.

"I think Maru snuck away to work on a project a while ago," Robin informed the farmer, "but I think she handed off the shirt she borrowed to Sebastian, if that's what you're after."

Violet thanked the carpenter and went back to find Sebastian, who was unsurprisingly standing with Sam and Abigail. Then paused the conversation when she greeted the trio, "Hey, Sebastian," she added afterward. "Your mom said Maru gave you something for me?"

"Yeah, uh..." Sebastian pulled a neatly rolled shirt out out of his back pocket. "I think this is yours, right?" He immediately slid his hands back into the pouch of his hoodie. "I guess Maru got what she needed."

"That's great!" the farmer nodded and pulled out the folded black fabric of Sebastian's shirt, though Violet still did not know it was his. "And this is for Maru," she stated, holding it out for him to take. The man paused and shifted his stance, as if he wanted to run, but decided against it.

"Didn't Maru tell you?" the programmer questioned Violet. When she shook her head "no," Sebastian bit his lower lip, and rocked back on his heels. "It's yours now. Keep it."

The farmer could not believe Maru wanted to part with it, but she smiled graciously. "Really?"

Sebastian rolled his dark eyes, "No, I'm lying to you," he shot back sarcastically, though he could not help but notice the excitement in her voice. "It's like you said, it was at the bottom of her drawer and she never wears it. So just keep it, okay?"

Violet thought that her friend sounded bashful for some reason, but could not discern why. Gleefully, she tucked both shirts into her bag. "Tell her I really appreciate it!" she instructed the man with tapered bangs.

"Uh... yeah. Sure thing," Sebastian replied. The farmer noticed that he still was not looking at her. Was Sebastian embarrassed about what he said to her earlier. There was nothing to be ashamed about, after all. Everyone had ineffective or unhealthy coping mechanisms, after all. Not to mention that Sebastian recognized the problem on his own. That was impressively insightful.

Sam and Abigail, who the other two had not paid much attention, stood off slightly to the side with their hands over their mouths, trying to contain their laughter. They both recognized that the shirt was Sebastian's and that he was giving it to a clueless Violet. From his reaction to her joy at the gift, he had it bad for the newcomer. The two exchanged a knowing look and Sam grinned like a kid in a candy store.

"Hey, Violet!" a voice called from across the Square. It was Leah, supporting what appeared to be a heavily intoxicated and sulky Elliott on her shoulder. "Could I get a hand, please? I need to get Elliott home."

The farmer turned to the trio apologetically. "Uh, sorry guys. Duty calls," she said, dismissing herself. The pastel-haired woman was not sure if she would see any of them when she came back into town, so she shouted over her shoulder as she left. "I'll see you all again Friday at latest!"

As soon as Violet was out of earshot, Sam and Abigail turned to their mutual friend. "You're coming with us," Abigail demanded, as the two of them each linked an arm with one of Sebastian's and dragged him toward Sam's house.


	25. Love is a Fine and Fickle Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru decides to help Alex achieve his dream of making it pro. Demetrius does not like his daughter hanging around young men her age. Leah and Violet help sad drunk Elliott get home safely. Abigail and Sam confront Sebastian about his feelings for Violet. The conversation changes drastically once Sebastian leaves the two alone.

Maru left the Egg Festival once the egg hunt was over and she had her fill of deviled eggs, but she had not gone alone. Her unlikely tag-along spoke constantly about the state of his excellent physique and athletic prowess, but the young scientist knew that when she chose to take on this new project. After their earlier conversation - well, really lecture - about the different kinds of muscles and how they serve different purposes, one topic lead to another until the two were down a rabbit hole of ideas. By the time Maru was prepared to leave the Egg Festival, Alex wanted to try a specially-catered a workout routine that would best prepare him for professional level gridball. Maru never had such an eager study participant and it would certainly give her a more rounded experience, she reasoned. "I'm going to crush whatever you throw at me," the spiky-haired brunet insisted with a level of confidence that suggested either a lack of individual awareness or complete and utter denial of human limitations. Either way, this could prove to be a fun distraction from her more serious projects.

"We have to set a performance baseline first," the researcher told him, whipping out a fresh notepad and well-inked pen. "So run to that tree and back."

Alex looked confused at first, "Right now?" he questioned.

"You've already lost three seconds!" she shot back, though really she had not started the timer yet. That would skew her data points. The jock sprang into action, sprinting toward the tree, and banking off the trunk with his foot for a quick turn before he returned to Maru. "How'd I do? Great, huh?"

"Did I tell you to stop?" Maru questioned, looking up from her note pad. "We have to do at least ten iterations in order to get a good data set."

Alex quickly stripped himself of his letter jacket and did as he was told. Maru noted when the athlete finished each lap and marked down the time. After about a dozen reps, the researcher seemed satisfied the collection of information would provide a reliable average for the gridball player's performance.

The bespectacled young woman glanced up to see a panting, but not yet exhausted Alex standing before her. He had a healthy layer of sweat accumulating evenly across his tanned dermis. _Good, we can continue,_ she thought to herself. "I assume you have a gridball?" Maru asked, though she already knew the answer before she finished the question. Alex always had a gridball on his person. Somehow. That was another mystery to solve, but perhaps for another day.

"I'm going to use my drone to film you while you throw the ball as far as you can," Maru explained to the jock. "After we're done, I'll go back over the footage to study your current technique, distance, and power behind each throw. I'll then run a comparison based on data from players who are already professional athletes and determine what we can improve upon on a separate date. Does that sound good to you?"

"You mean you're not going to give me all the stuff today?" he complained. Alex had expected to have a workout plan in-hand by the end of this.

Maru sighed, "Nothing about this process is going to give you instant gratification. If you want my help to improve, it will take time, effort, and drive," she warned Alex. She tapped the end of her pen to his chin, "Do you still want to continue?"

Alex appeared to mull it over a few moments, before finally saying, "I know I'm great, but I wanna be the _best_ when I go pro." He gripped the gridball tightly and backed away, feigning a throw. "Let's do this, glasses girl."

"Excellent!" Maru replied, pulling the drone controller out from one of her pockets. She pressed the homing button so that it would return. "While we wait, make sure to hydrate. We have a lot of testing to do..."

"Bring it on!"

* * *

"I do not like this one bit, Robin," Demetrius said with a huff as he stared out the front window of their house at his daughter and Alex. "That boy is trouble. A distraction from Maru's bright future!"

Robin joined her husband, spying on Maru from the window. "It looks like she's putting him to work, dear," she replied with a laugh as Alex ran to and from a tree in the distance. "What's wrong with Maru spending time with other people her age?"

Demetrius was clearly agitated. "Sports are not 'scientific pursuits,' they are frivolous and play no part in one's quest for knowledge."

Since Maru was not the one running around, Robin could tell Demetrius' objection was not to physical exercise, but she played along. The ginger woman patted her husband's shoulder, "Exercise is important for both physical and metal health, my love." She placed her palms on either side of Demetrius' face and gently turned his head away from the window, toward her own face. "And if Maru wants to help Alex with his dream, that's her decision. You know she isn't always going to be your little assistant, Demetrius. Our daughter is her own person with her own aspirations."

The father grumbled at the thought. "She will always be my little girl," he protested as his eyes did their best to glance out the window once more. His wife made it impossible to do so, however, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss upon his lips.

"And that's very sweet," Robin assured her husband, taking his hand and dragging him away from the front of the house. "Now let Maru have her fun in peace."

"But I have no idea about _his_ intentions!" Demetrius argued, his mouth set in a deep frown.

Robin seemed put out by her husband's current obsession. "What about _my_ intentions, Demetrius?" Robin said with a breathy sigh, holding her husband close, and gently tugging at the collar of his blue polo shirt. "Our children are both out of the house..." she added, brushing a bit of pollen off of his shirt along his collarbone.

Demetrius gazed into Robin's dark eyes and the meaning of her words finally clicked, "Oh!" he responded with surprise and a broad smile. "I see." He cleared his throat. "That is an excellent proposal. In that case, lead the way."

* * *

Elliott was relatively cooperative getting home, but he spoke in a stream of consciousness the entire way. It helped Violet get a better idea as to why Elliott was in his current state of inebriation, but it also raised many questions. Violet was confident she would not get most of those answers any time soon, either. From what she could gather, Elliott had courted this Cassandra woman over the course of several years, at a painstakingly slow pace. Though, Elliott did not seem to share that sentiment. He found the drawn-out process romantic. "Oh, the night we were engaged was absolutely magical..." he moaned wistfully. "The world stood still for one single, perfect moment of bliss as the twinkling stars stood as witness to our vows of undying love."

"Yeah, and that sure stood the test of time," Leah added sarcastically, rolling her eyes, and adjusting her shoulder to better support Elliott's weight. "From what you said last night, she dumped you the moment she found out you were disinherited."

"That is completely absurd!" Elliott cried in his drunken state, "It was a full week afterward, so she must have had other reasons!" It was a weak argument, even Violet could understand that with the bare bones of the situation she had collected. _She probably wanted to save some face and not break it off immediately and associate herself with whatever scandal occurred_ , Violet thought, though she would never say so to Elliott. He was already miserable and the farmer did not want to add fuel to the flames.

Leah sighed, "If Cassandra really loved you, she would not have broken off the engagement at all." The red-head was frustrated with her friend's rose-tinted lenses when it came to his ex-fiancee. "In fact, since she immediately fell into your brother's arms afterward proves to me that she was after your family's money, not your pretty face or your sweeping romantic gestures."

"How dare you insult the name of my sweet Cassandra!" the silky-maned man blubbered, trying to twist himself free from Leah. "She is the most kind, beautiful soul I ever had the pleasure of..." he trailed off, as his sobbing overrode his executive functions. Leah shouted as Elliott nearly toppled to the ground, but between the two women, they were able to get him basically vertical again. The farmer wondered if Elliott was always this sad a drunk or if the wine merely amplified his already present despair.

"So you were engaged to Cassandra, but she broke off the marriage when you were disinherited, and now she's marrying your younger brother at the end of this year?" the farmer recapped. She could not imagine being romantically involved with a pair of brothers, even if the relationships were not overlapping. The idea made her skin crawl on some fundamental level.

Elliott shuddered, trying to regain his composure. "Th-that is the w-wretched circumstance in which I f-find myself, yes!" he eked out pitifully.

Violet squeezed his shoulder sympathetically. "I know things seem bad now, but life has a way of sorting itself out," the young woman reassured her heartbroken friend. "Maybe not quite the way you hoped," she clarified when she saw Elliott's lips begin to form a rebuttal, "but I bet someday you will find someone else who is an even better match for you in every way." While the farmer knew these things were not guaranteed, Violet had a feeling that her new hopelessly romantic companion could easily fall for someone if the right person came along. His friends would just have to help keep him safe from those who would take advantage of Elliott. The pastel-haired woman thought that might be a bit of a challenge, but nothing she and Leah could not handle, if the situation arose.

The trio arrived at Elliott's beach front cottage and after some digging around in his overcoat pocket, Leah found the key and slot it into the hole. It turned with a loud click and the three of them were granted entry into their Elliott's home. It was not much, but then again, when you lived on the beach, ideally you did not need much.

Elliott's seaside shack had two separate tables, though only one had a chair. They both appeared to be for writing, however. Perhaps the author felt that switching his perspective in the room would help prevent creative stagnation. Then Elliott had his bed on the far side of the room, away from the door and next to it a piano. This surprised Violet, but it was not an unwelcome thing to learn about her new friend. When Elliott was not in such a despondent mood, Violet told herself she should ask about what he can play. She only knew a few simple songs herself, but it was a fun way to get to know an artist and she loved music.

The farmer also noticed that for a place so small, the poet had four house plants. It made a part of her happy to see someone else appreciate them. Sadly, she only had Plus Ultra Violet at home, but at one point she had quite the collection. Another interest they had in common!

The author sighed, beside himself with grief. "I cannot possibly conjure up a more fitting woman than Cassandra," he groaned pitifully. "She is everything to me."

"You've been just fine without her the past year," Leah grumbled, trying to pry off her best friend's boot off his heel, and obviously fed up with his moping today, "until the wedding invitation stirred up all these dusty feelings."

Elliott began to protest, but decided against it. He simply reclined over his bed until he lie down, "I came out here to heal my wounded heart," he shared, distinctly miserable. "But despite the physical distance, Cassandra found a way to pierce it once again. My heart, which I have always worn upon my sleeve, is damp from the ichor of heartbreak and salty tears of my sorrow." He went on about the wine of something-or-other made from this mixture, being made to drink is pain, and how his soul would never recover, etc.

 _Wow, he really does talk like that all the time, doesn't he?_ Violet thought in amazement and exasperation. While he was entirely too verbose about his feelings, maybe it was his way of coping with something he could not control. As if the wall of words were a barrier against a tide of depressing emotions.

Despite it all, Violet's heart did go out to the guy. Elliott really must love this Cassandra woman and she did not seem to care about him whatsoever. At least, that's what it sounded like. Violet knew it was none of her business, but she could not help but wonder why Elliott was disinherited. And from what? Was he from an especially wealthy or powerful family in the Ferngill Republic? He must be, if the disinheritance played that large a part in Cassandra's decision not to marry Elliott after all.

"Well, the wedding isn't until the end of Winter, right?" Violet finally cut in.

Elliott blinked, caught off-guard with the interruption to his monologue on the nature of heartbreak. "Yes. What of it?"

The farmer paused, "That gives you plenty of time. You could channel all this energy into your next book." She placed a hand on Elliott's shoulder and gestured toward the ceiling, "You've been having writer's block lately. This could be a sign from the universe. Think of the possibilities!"

Leah, unsure if this tactic would succeed but willing to try just about anything at this point, joined in. "Yeah, you've been at a loss for written words for ages now, Elli," she said sympathetically. "You could use it to try and sort out all your feelings, or write about how you wished things had gone, or even meeting someone new and finding that people don't always end up with their first love and that's okay." Leah shrugged, "Maybe by the end you'll have something usable for the publishers. If not, you can at least get some catharsis out of the whole process."

Elliott sniffled and tugged a handkerchief from his breast pocket, dabbing his eyes and nose. "You are quite right." He took a deep, cleansing breath. "I must fortify myself through the might of the pen," he agreed. "I shall write a fantastic series of encounters in order to let my mind - and heart - prepare for the upcoming nuptials between Cassandra and Edmund."

Violet smiled, "That's the spirit, Elliott!" she encouraged the author with a hearty pat on the back. "Lots of famous artists used their darkest moments to inspire them to greatness!"

The poet returned the grin, but weakly. "I hope you are right, my dear friends," he said. He gripped his head, brushing away his well-maintained mane away from his face. "I must rest now, however. I fear I have imbibed far too much alcoholic drink and my head fiercely protests my poor decisions."

Leah seemed relieved, but still insisted that Elliott also take off his overcoat and especially his tie so he would not accidentally strangle himself in his sleep. Violet got the tie off easily enough, but the coat was more difficult. The drunken Elliott, already half asleep was not much help, but the two women were able to wiggle it off of him eventually.

Before they left, Leah made Elliott drink plenty of water and left a large glass on his bedside table. The ginger shook her head, "Oh, he's going to regret this in the morning," she stated to no one in particular.

As they left Elliott cottage, the two walked back toward town side-by-side. It was well past dusk now, but the lights in town were bright enough to see where they were going. "He must have really loved Cassandra," Violet mused aloud. "I can't imagine what he's going through..."

Violet had a bad relationship in the past, that was for sure. But once it was over and she had some time to reflect, the farmer realized how unhealthy it had been for both people involved. She hoped Elliott would get that kind of clarity, in time.

Leah chuckled to herself quietly, "He'll bounce back," Leah assured her new friend. "Elli is resilient, even if he does make a fuss to anyone who will hear him out in the process."

The newcomer nodded in agreement. She thought it was cute that Leah called Elliott "Elli." It showed a closeness between two friends that not everyone else shared. Violet thought of how she was the one to start calling Rebecca "Bex." Meanwhile, Bex had all sorts of little pet names for Violet in both Spanish and English, but that was just part of her charm.

"I just worry he's going to try to win her back, or fall for someone else with bad intentions..." Violet confessed to Leah. "Someone could easily take advantage of Elliott."

Leah bobbed her head in accord. "Well, luckily we don't have anyone like that in Pelican Town," she stated. "But the real issue will be if he goes to the wedding."

"Well, that's almost an entire year away, so we have time to build him up before then."

The artist fiddled with the strap of her suspenders, "True," but she seemed uncertain. "I just hope he brings someone for moral support rather than trying to face it all alone..."

Violet reached out to side-hug Leah. "Hey, if he chooses to ask one of us to be his plus one, we already know that we'll defend him."

Leah chuckled nervously, "Sure, that's one thing, but neither of us know high society like Elliott does. One of us could make him look bad, trust me."

The farmer's face fell, "So... when you say 'high society'..."

A grimace formed on Leah's narrow face, "Think old French aristocracy meets modern day corporate exec culture and you might get somewhere close to what Elliott grew up with."

A lump formed in Violet's throat. She hated both those things with a passion. "No wonder he left..."

Leah burst into genuine laughter seeing Violet's face turn a shade of pale green. "Don't worry, I think Elliott's more concerned about keeping his family's name out things than he is about his own reputation." She sighed as they passed the houses on the way out of town toward her riverside cottage. "I think that's why he took the blame for what happened. He had no desire to live that kind of life anymore, but he knew that if someone didn't do it, his whole family would go down with him."

Violet, not wanting to be nosy but also overwhelmingly curious, asked, "What did he supposedly do?"

The ginger tugged at her braid, "It's... not my place to say," she said reluctantly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have even mentioned that much. Please understand. I'm sure Elliott will tell you when he feels more comfortable." Leah thanked Violet for walking with her and the two parted ways in front of Marnie's ranch.

As much as she understood why the artist did not disclose the details of Elliott's sacrifice, Violet did feel somewhat teased by this whole affair. _I'll have to earn the trust associated with that kind of information,_ Violet reflected. Trust was not something everyone gave so freely. _Better for them that way,_ she thought. Perhaps if she had not been so trusting in the past, Violet would not have been so hurt by the people who were supposed to love her. But that was in the past now and the young woman had other things to worry about. New friends, a new life, a new sense of purpose. Violet had finally escaped all the hurt for now and she could not be more happy with her choice to move to Stardew Valley.

* * *

"Alright. Spill!" Abigail demanded, once she and Sam has successfully dragged Sebastian off to Sam's house and into the privacy of the blond's room. "Why didn't you tell Violet that the shirt is yours?"

Sebastian shifted uncomfortably on top of Sam's bed. "What's wrong with letting Violet keep it? She likes it and I haven't worn it in ages." He looked up at Abigail defiantly. "And why do you care who has one of my old shirts?!" he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

Abigail pursed her lips, "The problem, _Sebastian_ , is that it might give some people the idea that you two are an item. Shirts are a bit more obvious than a missing necklace and couples do legitimately swap clothing sometimes!" The amethyst-haired woman widened her stance and lowered her face toward her hoodie-wearing friend. "So... what message are you trying to tell the whole town, Sebastian? You know the rumor mill runs quickly in Pelican Town."

Sebastian seemed flustered, but held his ground. "It's not like she wears it out in public anymore," Sebastian huffed. "So I don't see the issue."

Sam smirked, noticing an interesting detail in that remark. "So, Seb. If Violet doesn't wear the shirt in public, where does she wear it?" Sebastian's face went immediately pale, then flushed as he realized that he had been caught.

Abigail's mouth fell agape in shock. "Oh my gosh, you _are_ a perv!" She covered the lower half of her face with her hand and with the other, pointed an accusing finger at the programmer. "Something happened! What did you do?!" Abigail could only imagine what happened after she and Sam left Violet's place two nights ago.

"NOTHING!"

The blond chimed in again, "You're face wouldn't be so red if that were true, fam," he added in a sing-song voice. Sam scooted toward Sebastian, like a person trying to wriggle closer to their crush. "Did something happen at your sleepover?" he asked, resting his head on Sebastian's shoulder and fluttering his eyelashes. "Did you share some spaghetti and meet in the middle?"

Sebastian shrugged him away. "No. Literally nothing happened," he insisted. "We talked and ate _separate_ pizzas and then she went to bed. I read until I fell asleep much later. That's it!" The young man had of course left out that both he and Violet showered before settling down for the night. Even if they had done so one after another, just thinking about how had Violet emerged from the bathroom in his shirt and a pair of short shorts that showed off her legs made Sebastian feel both a little dirty and guilty. Violet had not been coming on to him or flirting, but he could not help the way seeing her like that made him feel. He crossed his legs just in case.

While what his best friend said happened sounded perfectly innocent, Sam knew there had to be more to this. He had never seen Sebastian so bashful before, so the blond had been close when he pressed about where Violet wore the shirt. "Well, she wasn't wearing that shirt when we came by that evening and she hadn't changed before we left..." Sam recalled out loud. "Abigail, do you remember it that way, too?"

Abigail thought for a moment, "True. I've never seen her wear it," she confirmed. While the woman had seen a picture of Violet wearing the shirt, Abigail had never seen it in-person. She narrowed her light blue eyes suspiciously at their mutual friend. "So she must have changed into it after we left..." The breath immediately left Sebastian as he saw the gears turning in Abigail's mind. Something clicked. "She wore it to go to sleep!"

Sam burst out laughing as Sebastian instantly disappeared into the hood of his sweatshirt. "Bullseye!" he cackled, flailing his legs as he tried to maintain his balance on the bed.

The young woman in the room was completely scandalized, "You like that she wears your shirt to bed, you _pervert_!" Abigail laughed, half from disbelief and half from the fact that Sebastian was so embarrassed he had been caught. This was perfect. Abigail was worried that Sebastian would not bounce back after she rejected him, but clearly his attention had turned to the new girl in town. Not only that, now she finally got to tease her friend a giant, awkward crush that was not directed at her.

"Leave me alone!" Sebastian demanded from the confines of his hoodie. "She said it was soft and I didn't want to make her feel weird and let her know it's mine."

"You know, you're taking into consideration how Violet feels," Sam acknowledged. "That's great!" The spiky-haired blond wrapped an arm around his turtled friend, "So I guess this confirms that you've got... boyfriend material."

"I fucking hate you both," Sebastian hissed from inside his hood in response to the bad joke. "Can I leave now?"

Sam glanced at Abigail, "What do you think? Should we let the poor guy go?"

A sigh escaped the young woman, in part to catch her breath from all the laughter. "I suppose we've tormented our friend enough, Sam..." she agreed reluctantly. "C'mon out, Sebastian. We'll let you go home now."

Sebastian fled the instant he heard the click of Sam's opening door, without hesitating to say good-bye. _I guess we mortified him more than I thought_ , Abigail thought to herself. _I hope he's okay..._

When Abigail turned back toward Sam, he was standing much closer than he had been before. She gasped slightly, and her heart began to race. "So..." the blond began, "some couples swap clothing huh?" The amethyst-haired woman cleared her throat and took a step back to turn away.

"Uh, yeah..." she stated. "I guess that's a thing, if they're both into that kind of thing. Probably more shirts and outwear, I think, but-"

She glanced back at Sam to find that he had shed his demin jacket, which now lay on his bed, and his yellow shirt, which he held out to offer to her. "Care to trade?" he asked her with a wink.

Abigail immediately balked at the suggestion and tore her eyes away from Sam's bare chest. "I-I... We're not even dating!" she shot back shakily, but that did not stop Sam from flashing his goofy smile at her. 

"Sure," he agreed, lowering his arm slightly. "But this way you can decided if I'm boyfriend material, right?" he suggested confidently. "I'll even wear one of yours, if you want," he said with a chuckle.

The joke distracted Abigail for a moment, "You wouldn't even fit into one of my tank tops," she argued. The woman realized she made a mistake as soon as she turned around to face Sam again. Damn his abs... Sam was enjoying every second of Abigail's gaze focused on his shirtless top half. "I'll bet I can fit just fine," he responded. "Just a little... differently," he said, gesturing at Abigail's figure. "If you don't believe me, we can test that theory."

Abigail could not believe how bold Sam was being with her. Was this because he was confident that Sebastian had moved on? Did he really think this was a good idea? The pale woman exhaled shakily. What should she do?

Without thinking, the amethyst-haired woman undid the belt that held her sleeveless vest in place over the rest of her outfit. "Just a quick swap," she laid out the ground rules. "And only because I don't see how my shirt could possibly fit you."

"If it does, will you agree to swap for just a night?"

While part of her did want this, the other part of Abigail was screaming at her to stop this nonsense. "Fine," she agreed impulsively. 

They both turned away from one another for the exchange to try on each other's shirts. As expected, Sam's shirt was a little loose on her, but not a bad fit. Just a bit tighter around the chest than Sam wore it. When Abigail looked to see Sam, she blushed. "It's... uh... a little snug," she told him. Abigail was not used to seeing Sam's bare arms or really in anything closer to tailored to the shape of his body. The v-neck tank top showed a great deal of skin and clung to his body, like - Abigail immediately panicked as she felt the heat of her body rise. "Okay, it doesn't fit! The trade is over," she said quickly, trying to yank off the yellow t-shirt without thinking. 

"Woah, woah, woah!" Sam objected, "Let me turn around first!" As Abigail paused, he gave her quick a look-over and grinned before he faced toward the opposite wall, "I can see the appeal of a girl wearing your favorite shirt, though."

Abigail frowned, "Are all guys such perverts?!" she snapped, throwing the t-shirt in Sam's general direction. Rather than waiting for Sam to return her tank top, she collected her sleeveless vest and buttoned it up all the way so she was fully covered. 

"Well, only some of us are honest about how we feel," Sam chuckled. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Hey, uh... I'm actually stuck. Could you help me out, Abi?"

The woman took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she was about to see again. But sure enough, her tank top was caught at Sam's broad shoulders and he could not continue to slide it over his head without the risk of tearing Abigail's clothing. While his torso was still exposed, the fact that his arms and head were covered by her tank top made him look ridiculous. "See," she said, suppressing a laugh, "I told you it wouldn't fit."

"Once again, you were right," he sighed, though he did not seem unhappy about it. He sat down on the floor to help Abigail get a better angle to free him. After a few moments, Abigail finally eased the tank top off of Sam's shoulders and his arms wriggled free. The young woman realized how happy she felt in that moment. Sam's goofiness always made her smile and even if he did throw her for a loop like this every once and awhile, it kept things interesting between them. Besides, what girl did not want to feel as wanted as Sam made her feel?

"Sam?" she whispered, kneeling beside him and gingerly brushing the side of his face with her fingers.

Though he was still blinded by the shirt on his head, Sam paused and moved his face toward the sound of her voice. "What's up, Abi?" 

"I like you a lot," she confessed. It was easier to say these things when his eyes could not look right through her. "It's probably more than that, but it scares me. I need a bit more time to sort it all out in my head..." She took a deep breath, "I promise you won't have to wait much longer. So thank you for being... you." With that, she leaned into him and planted a kiss on his lips, though the fabric of her tank top still stopped them from actually touching. Still, Sam could feel the warmth beyond the thin layer of cotton.

Abigail could not see it, but she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was smiling. "Remind me to get sexy ideas from Sebastian more often," he teased, but after a few moments without an answer, he could tell that Abigail had snuck out. The blond pulled the tank top off of his head and looked around the room to confirm that Abigail had left. Sam did notice, however, that his favorite yellow shirt was missing from the floor where Abigail had tossed it. "Huh... I guess she changed her mind," he observed with a satisfied smirk. 


	26. The Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penny has a regular morning with her mother. Violet further explores the mines. Willy takes a late night voyage. A late night phone call interrupts time to wind down.

Penny turned on the stove top early that morning and lay the bacon in the pan to fry, like she did most days. While her mother always complained and nit-picked, Pam was a bit more tolerable if a hot breakfast and coffee were available to her first thing when she rolled off the sofa. Although Penny was not a good cook overall - which she admitted was something she would most certainly have to improve upon should she ever get married - she had so much practice with breakfast that she could do a decent enough job. The sizzling was such a familiar sound that she could tell when the strips were ready to flip just by the sound. Having all this protein after a night of drinking probably helped Pam with her hangovers. The young red-head hated to enable her mother's bad habit, but placating her mother made Penny's life more bearable in the meantime.

She leaned against the kitchen counter, her emerald eyes drinking in the text on the page. It was _Pride and Prejudice_ , and although she could probably recite at least half the book if pressed, the feel of the physical book in her hand comforted her like an old friend. Her novels were like her sword and shield, cutting through the hopelessness of her existence and keeping her safe from the biting remarks of those around her. No one could really judge Penny on any real basis if she did not speak. The ginger knew what people thought of her mother, Pam. The town drunk, living like a slob in her messy trailer. A blight on the otherwise beautiful landscape of Pelican Town. Penny could not allow her mother to dictate what others thought of her. She vowed to be better than this. Someday, she would travel to see all that the wide world had to offer. But, until then, she was stuck caring for her drunkard mother.

A small voice inside her reminded Penny to be grateful that her mother stuck around to raise her. Even if she was not a very good mother, Pam at least made the attempt. On the other hand, Penny liked to think that her father had not simply left as her mother said. Perhaps he had been forced to leave due to a family emergency or crisis of faith. On this train of thought, Penny imagined that he intended to return, but was met with a terrible misfortune along the way. Or perhaps he wrote her letters that she never received, or... or... or... She sighed. If only things worked out for her as well as they did for Elizabeth Bennet.

Penny so wanted a loving spouse and children of her own someday, but the way her life was going that was not going to happen as soon as she wished it would. She had no gentlemen callers lining up at her door to request she accompany them at this event or that. It was so unfortunate.

For now, she busied herself with her books and teaching the children. It was a labor of love to ensure that Jas and Vincent received an education. The kids each had their own struggles and Penny did not technically have a teaching degree, but she had done enough research so that Jas and Vincent were following to proper curriculum for their age. Penny only hoped it would be enough. She prayed that she was enough to someone.

The bacon began to sizzle in the way that told her it should be flipped for a proper fry. Grabbing her tongs, she did so and then cracked in a few eggs so that they would fry in the hot bacon grease and absorb some of its flavor. Her mother loved that.

Penny heard Pam stirring on the sofa bed, grumbling profanities regarding the state of her aching head under her breath. The young woman wondered how her father ever fell in love with her mother, who had no social graces that Penny had been able to detect. It gave the ginger hope for her own prospects in a way, but it also depressed her.

The red-head silently set the table for breakfast and served up the meal. Pam, finally awake enough to realize that breakfast was ready, plopped herself on the bench closest to her and began to dig in. Penny liked that her mother enjoyed the food, but wished that Pam would at least acknowledge the work she put into the meal by thanking her once and a while. The teacher felt especially low today, though she could not discern the exact reason.

"Saw the new girl laying out, taking a nap yesterday in public," Pam told her daughter, not bothering to cover her mouth while she chewed. Her smeared eye shadow gave her the look of a ravenous raccoon as she ate.

Penny was not normally into town gossip, but her mother loved it, so the ginger humored her. "Oh?"

Pam scoffed, "With that no-good boy of Robin's hanging around her like a hungry hound, no doubt," she said, shaking her head, and mumbling about the indecency of a young woman sleeping in a man's presence. The blonde pointed her fork toward her daughter, "I'm glad you chose the better of those two kids to be friends with."

Pam forbade Penny from going to Maru's house, but had never specified a reason. So, admittedly, Penny did not know much about her best friend's brother. Only really that Maru wished they got along better and that Sebastian and Sam were an inseparable duo. The young teacher disapproved of his smoking, but it was another one of those bad habits to which some people succumbed she supposed. At the very least, she made sure Vincent and Jas knew smoking was bad for your health and that of those around you, so they should not to be around Sebastian when he smoked.

Her mother continued, "Girls these days are too easily drawn to those bad boy types," she complained, a bit of egg yolk dribbling down the side of her mouth. "Just give any loser a motorcycle and a smoke and these floozies throw themselves at 'em."

"That's not very kind, mother," Penny told Pam with a whisper. The young woman held her tongue from lashing out all the other things she wanted to say. Though she had heard good news from Maru yesterday at the Festival. Her best friend had been so proud and excited for her older sibling. "Maru says her brother is trying to quit smoking. Sebastian threw out his cigarettes and everything."

The older woman huffed and took another bite of her eggs on toast. "Just call 'em as I see 'em, girl. It won't last." She glanced at the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, "Now clean up this mess you made. I don't want bugs."

The ginger wanted to say that the kitchen had been dirtied to feed her ungrateful mother, but Penny held her tongue and did as she was told. Someday Penny and her lover would be married and move in together, giving her the opportunity to this pigsty trailer and Pam's harsh words. But, until that day, she would try to keep her head down and out of trouble, no matter how much she despised it. So, she quickly finished her own meal, gathered up the dishes on the table, and did as she was told. Meanwhile, Pam returned to the couch and soon Penny began to hear her mother's snores over the sound of her scrubbing.

* * *

That morning Violet went to water her crops, collect the ripened green beans off of their vines, and check on her new strawberry plants. She stared at them intensely, as if her will could enhance the rate at which they would mature. They were barely even green specks on the rich, dark soil of her garden, but even that excited the farmer. These were her first attempt at a fruit, after all. Violet got up and sighed impatiently. She would need to find another way to distract herself.

The farmer went to perform her morning ritual of cleaning the ripened crops and sort them into those she would keep for her own meals and those she would sell. Violet had a nice batch to sell to Pierre and this time she would not have to replenish seeds, so she could save up toward that larger red backpack she had been eyeing. Perhaps a visit to the mines would help her make some cash. Violet wanted to check out more of the mines and all its secrets, after all. This would be a perfect day to explore!

So, after gathering up her things and making sure she had the rusty sword and field snacks among her supplies, Violet left for town to do business with Pierre. The grocer seemed pleased to see the new farmer, but did not do well hiding his disappointment that she was not there to buy anything today.

She left immediately so not to bother herself with the grown man's grumbling, and headed directly north to the mountain. It was a relatively cool day and the hike was a pleasant one. There was no one around the lake, so she stopped for a moment to admire the landscape. There were a lot more coniferous tree around the lake, she noticed for the first time. Perhaps that is why the smell of the air had a small trace of pine with each breath she took. A fish jumped out of the water to snatch an insect somewhere in the middle of the lake, where the color of the water became darker indicating its depths below. Violet wondered what kinds of creatures lived in the lake.

Violet shook her head to shake off Mother Nature's trance on her. The farmer had to admit that nature always held a special place in her heart. It was part of the reason she loved visiting her grandparents here in the valley as a child. It's probably why she most often chose the druid class whenever she played tabletop RPGs with her friends and tried to collect to many houseplants when she finally got a place of her own.

The farmer remembered crying bitterly when her mother did not let her come to Fairy Rose Farm that first summer. Little did Violet know at the time that she already had her last summer with her grandfather. The young woman could really not fathom her mother's insistence that the visits were bad for her and still resented the fact that she had not been able to see her grandparents again before they passed to say good-bye. Violet was not sure she would ever understand her mother. Not that most of that matter anymore. "It's cave exploration day," she reminded herself firmly as she headed toward the entrance of the mines.

Much to Violet's surprise the bright light of the lanterns still filled the interior entrance to the mines, even when no one was around. She glanced down at the hole that would lead her below to the first floor of the mines. "Here goes nothing," the explorer muttered to herself and she climbed down the rungs toward the faint light below.

The first few levels were relatively simple. Violet would break apart some rocks and if she was lucky, she found ore-laden stone. It was exhausting, time-consuming work. There were a few green slimes, for which the adventurer was prepared this time. Violet got body slammed a few times by the little ambulatory boogers, but the more she got hit, the less badly she felt about destroying them.

Violet discovered some kind of aggressive mole by accident - though the young woman was almost certain that the mole had purposefully erupted from the soil directly beneath her. "Ow!" she shouted angrily, as one popped up on the wrong spot of her foot's arch. "That fucking hurt!" Without thinking she swung her sword at the creature, nicking it only slightly before it disappeared beneath the soil again. Violet cursed and vowed revenge, so she remained alert to the area around her, only to have the burrowing menace attack from beneath her once again. "AH!" Violet cried, swing her sword at the creature. It disappeared once again beneath the ground.

The young woman huffed and returned to the solid stone where the thing seemed to be unable to surface. She placed a foot on the softer soil and pulled it away immediately to experiment. Sure enough, the Diglett-look-alike popped up where her foot had just been. Violet smiled wickedly and sliced the burrower. "That's what you get!" she roared as it fell to her weapon.

Then came the enormous bugs. Sure, she could live and let live with the bright green beetles that placidly flew to and fro but that was apparently not on the agenda for these cave flies today. The instant they flew in her direction the young woman ducked to avoid the collision the cave dwellers tried to instigate. "Nope. Try that again and you're dead, bug," she growled under her breath. She hated flies, especially ones that would not leave her alone. While they were not as loathed as mosquitoes, Violet did not feel any remorse slaying them.

After a few relatively uneventful levels in the mines, Violet encountered her last surprise for the day: living stones. Or, rather, crabs disguised as rocks. She only encountered one that day, but it made her jump upon discovery. The new miners swung her pickaxe at a rock, only to find it hurling itself toward her. "EEEEEK!" she shrieked, bounding backward to avoid the sharp claws. While it did manage to scrap her, it was only a minor cut.

Breathing heavily, the farmer realized that the creature recoiled back into its stone shell. As Violet examined it from afar, she realized it reminded her of a Parasect, only instead of a giant mushroom that killed its little crustacean host, the top was simply a hollowed-out rock. It was a clever disguise, she had to admit.

She wondered if they were related to regular crabs. Violet's mouth began to water at the thought. She loved seafood! The farmer had been still for quite some time, so the crab's eyes peeked out from beneath its shell. When it spotted the hungry look on Violet's face, it immediately panicked and scuttled away as fast as its legs could carry it.

"I'm sorry, but you're going to be delicious!" she called after it as she gave chase.

When the deed was done, Violet tucked away the fresh crab into her bag. Between the crab, stone, ore, and minerals she found, Violet knew she would be unable to carry anything else with her. Good thing she had left her scythe at home.

So while perhaps the farmer discovered she was more vindictive than she previously thought, Violet had made slow progress deeper into the mines. It was starting to get into late evening, so the young woman knew she should head out soon. However, curiosity got the best of her and she decided to see if there were any easy pickings on the next floor down.

Strangely, the level was basically empty, except for a wooden chest in the center of the cavern. The little gamer voice inside her shrieked with delight. "Loot!" she said excitedly. As an experienced player of D&D and other such games, however, Violet attempted to check the chest for traps before she went to open it. Admittedly, she had no idea what to look for as she never played a rogue, but it was the thought that counts, right?

Eagerly, Violet unlatched the ancient chest and peered inside to find what reward awaited her. Strangely, the explorer had not expected boots, but she was not disappointed when she tried them on. "They fit!" Violet exclaimed in shock. "Oh, they're nice, too!" she cooed as she stroked the softened leather. Violet tied her old pair of shoes to the outside of her pack and walked around the small cavern to test out her loot.

While they did not look cracked or weathered, the boots were supple and comfortable. She did not have to even break them in. Violet added the boot to her list of potentially magical encounters in Pelican Town.

_Junimos - Cute little apple dudes, Spirits of the Forest_

_M. Rasmodius "Wizard" - Real deal or drug-dealing fraud?_

_Shadow People - **Definitely** magic_

_Sebastian - Spell caster?_

_Slimes - Lesser Rimuru in every way :(_

_Tiny Digletts - Are they **magic** , though? Pokémon IRL?_

_Leather boots - Too perfect..._

Violet looked down at her feet and felt a lump in the pit of her stomach. _Oh, shit. What if these are magic boots?_ She felt her body break into a cold sweat. _Did I just literally step into cursed shoes?!_ She thought over the instances of magical shoes or boots that came to mind. Okay: Dorothy's magic ruby slippers. Violet clacked her heels together and repeated, "There's no place like home," several times to test. Nothing happened.

"Good!" she told herself. What else? She could stop in the boots on her own accord, so no fairy or religiously-themed punish-the-vain-female curse to walk or dance herself to death from exhaustion, dismemberment, or into some form of an underworld. No fairy godmother had appeared to marry her off to a prince, so that was out. Violet could still hear her footsteps when she walked, so they were not Boots of Elvenkind. Nor could she walk any faster in them, so no Boots of Haste or Boots of Speed. They did not seem to be seven-league boots, either, the the Diana Wynne Jones universe magic was out. Violet had to admit she was more disappointed by that one than any of the other possibilities. Then again, she would have been happy with any of the non-cursed item options. Oh well.

After going through as many scenarios as she could recall, Violet felt satisfied that she the boots were of no harm. If anything, the new explorer felt a bit more confident and sure-footed in them because they were so well-made and fit as if they were made for her. Violet smiled, satisfied that she in all likelihood had not fallen into a fairy trap. The young woman sighed with relief and gathered her things to head back to the surface. She did notice, however, that the broken elevator now faintly lit up the number "10" above the door. "Huh..." Violet had not counted how many floors she cleared that day, but ten did seem about right. She shrugged and climbed up toward the surface.

* * *

The night sky had melted into an inky black before Willy heard the usual rap upon the porthole. "It is I, Uncle," the Gotoron voice called out softly. Willy, who had allowed himself to doze while he waited, swung his legs out of his hammock and opened the door to see her face.

"Yer late," he grumbled, hopping down onto the deck, and lowering the sturdy planks to allow her cart to be loaded on his ship. They met in the little cove every weekend to transport the cart to and from the open sea, where they met with a much larger ship for the merchant to head back to her country.

"My apologies. It was the strange magician," the teal-haired woman explained. " He wanted to do business well after I closed shop." Her gold earring twinkled as she shook her head in annoyance.

Willy backed away from the water, coaxing the odd pig his niece kept toward the center of the ship. "Well? How'd ya do?"

Eshra beamed widely, "Ah, yes. The magician has much gold." She held up a large sack of coins for emphasis. "Business was good." The young woman fished out a generous handful of coins and deposited them into the fisherman's open palm. "For your troubles."

The mariner tucked the coins away in his pockets, though his sleight of hand would not have hinted to any onlooker as to which one. "Always happy t'do business wit' kin."

A breeze ruffled the young woman's dark cloak, which covered her deep blue dress. "We must go now, if we are to catch the tide," she urged gently.

The old man nodded, already working on removing the mooring lines. "I know the tides!" he chuckled, "Been at sea long'r than ya been breathin'!"

She flushed with embarrassment, "Yes, Uncle. Of course."

"Now hush, ol' Willy's got some navigatin' t'do." The new moon cast little light on the vast darkness of the ocean, but Willy knew the stars like the back of his weathered hands. It took about an hour to get to the usual rendezvous point, but he could see the ominous shadow of the larger ship in the distance. Willy removed his cap to properly wipe his brow. He never like sending his niece off with a bunch of strange sailors, but it was the life she chose and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Wake up, Esh," the mariner said, tapping his niece's shoulder. She stirred awake from her nap and covered her mouth as she yawned. Her enormous hog snorted, temporarily fogging its goggles, and begin to sniff the air. What it was the unnaturally-colored creature caught scent of, Willy was not sure, but the animal squealed with delight. Willy glanced at the oncoming ship, "Ya sure ya wanna do this again?" he asked the woman. "Yer always welcome t'stay ashore till ya find a pair of land legs."

Eshra shook her head, the tinkering of her earring barely audible over the spray of the sea. "I fear trade is too prosperous to abandon," she replied in her thick Gotoro accent. "Besides, I have a guard, Uncle" she assured her father's brother. "My hog protects me from pigs who call themselves men." She winked, and patted the top of her pet's head. The purple hog oinked happily and rubbed his head against the palm of her outstretched hand.

"Eh," Willy protested weakly, but he had nothing more to say on the matter. He gathered up the line to anchor themselves to the oncoming ship for the transfer. "Get the cart ready," he ordered. "We ain't got all night."

The woman nodded obediently and lowered the ramp for her beast of burden to enter the cart so it could be lifted up onto the Gotoro vessel. The hog did as he was bid, like he did every round trip between the two nations. Eshra's hog was likely the most well-traveled pig on this side of the Gem Sea, Willy thought to himself in amusement. 

Once the giant ship came close enough, several ropes were lowered down to the dock of Willy's smaller fishing vessel. After securing themselves enough so they would not drift away with the tide as they worked, both he and Eshra deftly secured the lines to the cart. It was all second nature to them at this point. They had been doing this routine for years, after all. When they were finished, the young Gotoro woman pecked her uncle's cheek with a kiss. "Thank you again, Uncle. I shall see you again soon."

"Fair weather, fair friends, 'til we meet again," he called after her, as the cart was hoisted well above his head. He could see Eshra's smile as she leaned over the edge of her cart to see him and she waved farewell as she disappeared over the taffrail. 

Willy watched the ship disappear into the fog of the moonless night before he headed back toward shore, as he always did. You never knew what could happen at sea, so best to keep on eye on the important things, of course. Once Eshra's transport was out of sight, Willy set sail for home. Luckily, the current was on his side for the return voyage. He cast a line to troll the deep waters below. Perhaps he would catch something interesting while he was out.

* * *

The man arrived home late from work as he did every evening. Loosening his tie, and pulling it over his caramel-colored hair so he would not have to re-fasten it in the morning, he looped the accessory of his uniform over his arm. Then, he shrugged out of his suit jacket and added them both to the same hanger, he put the garments away in his closet. The man sighed wistfully, looking out the window of his apartment at the twinkling of the city light below, as he continued to unbutton his now-wrinkled dress shirt. 

A buzzing from the inside of his pocket caught his attention and he brought the phone to his ear without checking to see who called. The man already knew, after all. "Yes, mother?" he answered in a monotone.

"Your sister has played her little game long enough, Zachary," she complained with an indignant growl. "I want you to go talk some sense into her. She will listen to you."

The pale man could not contain his laughter, "Oh, please. Vi would sooner listen to the howls of a wild dog than she would me." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to massage out the kinks from hunching over mountains of paperwork all day.

"This is not funny, Zachary," the woman on the other line insisted. "She quit Joja Corp. in a manner so appalling that there is no way she can salvage her career if she does not return and grovel at their feet for her job back."

Zach rolled his deep green eyes, "I'm honestly surprised it took this long for her to snap," he informed his mother, as she opened a bottle of beer and took a swig, reclining in his fine leather couch. "My little sister was not built to handle the cut-throat business world."

The response was sarcastic. "Oh, and you are?" 

The man smirked, "Of course not. That's why I'm a lawyer, mommy," he replied in a mockingly sweet voice. "I had to make you and daddy proud somehow."

He could hear the venom in his mother's voice. "Are you seriously not going to help your sister?"

Zachary paused, taking another sip of his beverage as he gazed out the window at the bustling of the city below. "I'll give Violet a visit," he promised. "But not now. I have an important case coming up that I cannot just abandon on a whim. It's a busy time of year for things like this, you know," he reminded her. 

Sighing, his mother relented. "Fine," she said, "but as soon as you're able to take a break, do. Violetta needs some proper guidance if she wants to make something of herself. I know you can do it." The click on the other end told Zach that his mother had hung up without a good-bye or a "thank you" to her son. Eh, that was normal. The man shrugged and tossed his phone over to the other side of the sofa, well away from him. Sinking further into his comfortable seat, Zach ran his hair through his golden-brown hair and rested his elbow on the arm rest to prop up his head as he watched the pedestrians below. "I hate being the fun police," he grumbled under his breath. Zach took another drink from the dark bottle. "This is not going to end well..."


	27. Spring Renewal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet makes another attempt to talk to Haley. Violet decides to distract Elliott for an afternoon. Sam and Shane have a chat at Joja Mart. Alex gives some unexpected advice to Abigail, which leads to a bold and impulsive decision.

As the sun rose high in the sky, Violet wiped her brow of the sweat accumulating on her skin and stood back admiring her work. The young woman could hardly believe that she had already been in the Valley half a season. Already Violet could feel that her muscles were getting used to the manual labor each day and her life had fallen into a rhythm of sorts, at least in the mornings. It was strange having so much unstructured free time, but Violet knew she had to use it wisely if she wanted to keep her farm in business and keep Pelican Town out of Joja Corp.'s clutches.

She had several goals in mind for the week: save some money up for the upgraded backpack, improve her fishing skills, continue exploring the mines, donate items to the museum, and fix the small bridge to the eastern beach. Violet realized that the last item on her list was easily obtainable with all the trees she had cleared to make her current garden plot. Perhaps it would be worth taking care of today. Violet returned to her house and made sure to wear cool, but long sleeved clothing to reduce the risk of sunburn. Then after giving Bruno a pat on the head, the farmer headed south toward the river to head to the beach.

As Violet foraged some horseradish and dandelions along the path, she saw a woman standing off to the west. It was Haley, who from the looks of things was taking pictures of the forest with an expensive-looking camera. Huh. Even if the blonde thought that farming was a disgusting profession, she at least appeared to appreciate nature to some extent. Maybe she could give talking to Haley another shot? "Hey, Haley. How's it going?" the farmer asked as she approached.

The blonde either did not hear Violet or ignored her at first, so the newcomer tried again. "Hi Haley! What you are up to out here?"

A deep, exasperated sigh escaped from behind peach-colored lipstick as Haley lowered the camera from her face. "Taking pictures, obvi," Haley explained, clearly annoyed she had been bothered. Her blue eyes scanned Violet and the farmer could see the disgust in Haley's face, but for a brief moment her eyes lit up, "Hey, are those daffodils?"

Violet followed Haley's line of sight to see a bit of yellow poking out of her bag, "Uh, no. Sorry," the farmer said apologetically. "Just some dandelions." She took note that Haley liked daffodils, though. Violet often saw them growing in town or near the bus stop. Maybe giving her a few of those would make Haley more amiable.

Haley face fell and she wrinkled her nose, "Ew. Why are you picking weeds?"

The pastel-haired woman shrugged, "Pierre pays me for them. Apparently the leaves are used in a lot of salads." Violet's dark blue eyes stole a glance at Haley's camera, trying to divert the conversation to something more productive. "So... what kinds of photos do you take?"

"Nature shots. I am in the forest, after all."

Violet nodded. "May I see?" she asked, trying to return the venom with an opposing force.

The blonde hesitated for a moment, "It's not a digital camera," she explained. "I'll have to make a trip to Zuzu City to get the film developed."

"That takes some dedication and commitment since you can't see what you're getting on film right away. You must really like taking pictures."

"Well, it is an excuse to go shopping in the city, too," the blonde said with a coy smile. Haley seemed to appreciate the validation of her choice of medium as well. "Of course, I only take the best shots. Selfies included," she added with a wink. "Though sometimes I'll use my Polaroid so I can see them right away."

"So are you a professional photographer?"

The blonde seemed taken aback by the question. As if no one had ever asked Haley about her passion or if she might have a profession at all. "No," she finally replied. She smiled weakly, "But that would be a lot of fun."

"I'm sure you'd be great at it," Violet told the blonde. "But I would like to see your pictures some time. Let me know when you get them developed!"

Haley seemed to consider this a moment, "If I remember, sure," she responded. That was the best Violet could hope for it seemed, so the farmer bid Haley farewell and continued on toward town.

She stopped almost immediately when she noticed berries on the bushes that had not been there previously. "Oh, I wonder if these are the salmonberries Leah told me about?" Violet wondered to herself. They certainly appeared to fit the description the artist had given her on their foraging hike last week. The woman picked about half of the berries off the bush and collected them in her bag. Pierre would certainly know if they were edible and if not, she could simply dump them back in the forest where some woodland creatures would surely eat them.

The floral-haired woman took her time getting to town. It was such a beautiful spring day and she was in no rush. It was such a strange, welcome change in comparison to her old life. As Violet reached the Square, she noticed several daffodils in the area. She gently wiggled them free from the soil and went back the way she came to the alley between the residences and the river. The beige house with the sun decoration about the door was Haley and Emily's as she now knew, so she replanted the daffodils in the garden box in front of the house, making sure to leave plenty of space for the green sprouts already growing there. _Maybe Haley will like that..._ Violet thought hopefully.

* * *

After visiting the general store, Violet headed to the museum to drop off her donations of a quartz, amethyst, and earth crystal. Gunther, smiling broadly at the farmer, tipped his hat to her and said, "For your troubles," as he handed her nine packets of cauliflower seeds.

Violet's mouth was agape for several seconds before she caught herself. Cauliflower seeds were expensive! "Thank you so much, Gunther," the farmer replied, making sure to show the excitement on her face. "I'll plant these later today so they'll mature by the end of the season!" she promised. While the woman was eager to plant her new seeds, there was still plenty of daylight. So, as much as she wanted to run home and prepare plots for her cauliflower, Violet headed south across the river toward the beach. There she saw Elliott, who was willing to speak with her, but it was quickly apparent that he had been crying quietly to himself as he gazed forlornly into the river below. Perhaps a project would help keep his mind off of Cassandra and Edmund.

"I'm going to fix that little bridge to the east side of the beach," she informed her depressed friend. "Would you be willing to assist?"

The author cleared his throat, "I cannot say I am much use when it comes to manual labor," he confessed sheepishly. "I have not any real experience."

Violet beamed at him, trying to keep his spirits up, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't do anything too strenuous," she promised her new friend. "I looking for company more than anything. I've never made a bridge before and I might need some moral support if I fail miserably."

Elliott nodded, "In that case, I would be happy to accompany you, miss Violet," the poet replied with a weak smile. Even when he was this sad, Elliott found a way to be his charming self. He quickly dabbed his face with a handkerchief, trying to be as discreet as possible, and tucked it away in his breast pocket. Then, offering her the crook of his arm, Violet looped arms with him and the two set off toward the broken bridge.

The project did not end up being difficult in theory, but fashioning her pieces of wood together in properly arranged planks was another issue. With Elliott's help, the two laid out the wood on the beach and rearranged it several times before finally securing the materials together. "Ready for the moment of truth?" Violet asked her companion, as she erected the finished product on their side of the beach. "Once I drop this it's either going to snap, or..." the farmer's dark blue eyes scanned the river below her. The water was not deep, so she was not worried she would be drown, but the current was swift. She might be rolled downstream a bit a made to look like a fool, but she could live with that.

"Do what you must," Elliott said gravely, backing away from there there river spilled out to the sea. "If our work was not enough, we shall simply have to make another attempt," he reasoned. Sizing up the boards, the author opted to take a few more steps toward his cottage. He did not want to risk being splashed.

Closing her eyes, Violet let go and allowed the new plank bridge to fall into place. The woman was sprayed by the water as the wood made contact near the shore, but the planks held fast overall and bridged the gap between the two sides of the river. Glancing back at Elliott to make sure he was close in case of an accident, Violet decided to give crossing their new overpass a try. The boards creaked beneath her weight, but nothing visibly budged. Violet turned around to face her friend and hopped on one foot atop the bridge, "I think we did it!" she announced confidently.

After a few gingerly steps onto the bridge, Elliott deemed the bridge safe as well and joined his companion on the eastern beach. As the two combed the beach for items of interest, Elliott spoke up. "Thank you for the distraction this afternoon, miss Violet," he said appreciatively. "I am afraid that my writing caused me to reflect on some rather unpleasant memories..." he paused, gazing at a crab at the bottom of one of the tide pools. With its hefty claws, it tore a small fish clean in half and began devouring its prey. "Perhaps I was too blinded by my infatuation with Cassandra that I did not see what was right in front of me."

Violet, standing beside him, nodded understandingly. "Love will do that, huh?" she replied with a nervous chuckle. "You're not the only one, so you don't have to feel alone about it."

Elliott thick brows arched questioningly, "You were once stung by Cupid's arrow, miss Violet?"

The farmer grimaced, "I'm not sure I would call it 'Cupid's arrow,' but I had a pretty bad relationship with someone I trusted as a friend first." The flowery-haired woman squirmed uncomfortably at the rush of memories. "Looking back, it was clear he took advantage of me. But I think I just wanted someone to notice me so badly..." Elliott noticed the far-off look in Violet's eyes as she trailed off. As if her memories were swallowing her from the inside. He place a gentle hand on her shoulder, then after several moments of shared silence, the farmer exhaled sharply, exorcising the lingering shadows in the back corner of her mind. The young woman made an effort to smile at Elliott to reassure him she was okay, but the man could tell it was for his sake, not because she felt happy in that moment.

"It seems we both have heartache in our past" he whispered, lifting her chin up with his fingertips and then placing his hands on her shoulders. "But perhaps it is time for the both of us to carry on with out lives."

Violet nodded in agreement and Elliott pulled her into a hug. It was unexpected, but welcome. The hug was a gentle, comforting embrace. One that they clearly each needed. The farmer's head nestled right into the poet's chest due to their height difference. Violet was not about to complain how good it felt and wrapped her arms around her companion to return the hug. It was nice to get this sort of platonic affection without all the melodrama of romantic interest. Violet was reminded how Bex's hugs always made her feel better, too. She wondered how Elliott and Bex would get along.

Violet turned her head upward to look upward at Elliott's face, but it was cloaked by the veil of his long silky hair. "Just... a moment longer, if you please," he requested quietly. The shakiness of his voice made Violet give her friend a more robust squeeze as she lowered her head again. His wounds were a little more fresh and applying pressure was always a good step toward mending it, after all. 

She smiled again, this time earnestly. "You give awesome hugs, Elliott. Has anyone ever told you that?"

The author slowly untangled himself from the farmer and she could tell from the hue of his face that he was somewhat embarrassed by the compliment, "You are the first to say so," he admitted bashfully. Violet could not help but think it was precious how flustered Elliott was over a compliment about his quality hugs. Now the farmer definitely had to find her friend someone who would both love and respect him or she would never forgive herself.

"I don't know about you, but I feel refreshed and ready to go!" Violet chuckled, grabbing her pole out of her bag. "I'm going to fish off the pier. Would you like to join me?"

The author smiled apologetically. "I should get back to my work," he said reluctantly. "I appreciate your generous offers of distraction, however. Please do not let my declination of your invitation discourage future requests for companionship." Elliott brushed his locks away from his face to better see Violet. "And I thank you again, miss Violet..." He hesitated, scouring his vocabulary for the right words. "I feel as if conversations such as the one we just had bear a bit of one's soul." His amber eyes stole a glance at his companion. "And I am honored that you shared such an intimate detail about your life with someone like me. Even if neither of us went into specifics, talking about it eased my mind a little."

Violet, averting her gaze, shuffled her foot in the sand, "Eh, don't mention it." She chuckled to herself, "It's more word-vomit on my end, but you have a beautiful way of looking at the world. Don't ever change that, okay?" She winked at him playfully, "Now go write the next great novel!" she ordered before heading off to the pier. "I can't wait to read it."

Elliott watched her go, wondering to himself how it was that some people simply came into their lives and seemed to fit so perfectly. Like old friends who could pick up where they last left off without a second thought. The poet in him believed it might be residual friendship from a past life but who really knew the truth of it all? The well-kept man smiled to himself and returned to his cottage with a new writing prompt in mind.

* * *

Sam bobbed his head to the music playing in his headphones as he swept the floor at Joja Mart. While maintaining the cleanliness of the store was not his main responsibility there were not many customers that came to the store and those that did had already been customers for quite some time and knew where their favorite products were located in the store. So, more often than not, Sam dedicated his time to keeping the place spotless and jamming to his music to help the time pass. Cheryl and Shane did not care about Sam listening to his headphones, so he did not have to worry about hiding his headphones under his jacket when they were around but Morris seemed determined to keep his employees miserably alert to the lack of business. Still, the place seemed to stay open just fine, even if Sam was pretty sure the place operated at a loss to the company overall. The blond had to wonder if this place was a front. Sam liked entertaining the idea and he and Cheryl would occasionally make wild guesses as to what Joja Corp. really did to turn a profit. Shane would occasionally join in, but usually he would loiter off to the side and listen in without actively participating. The only reason Sam knew Shane actually listened to the conversations was because once while Sam was on a well-thought-out but ridiculous rant about Joja Corp.'s imaginary partnership with Area 51, Shane snorted with laughter and ended up choking on his own saliva for a moment before disappearing into the back to recover.

So while his neighbor and co-worker was not the most social guy, Same knew that Shane, like everyone else in this depressing joint, still needed some entertainment throughout the day. The blond never ratted out Shane for swiping whole pizzas from the back room, either. It was an unspoken rule between the villagers that petty theft from a giant mega corporation was not all that bad. They had infringed on the small town aesthetic, even if it did employ a few of the local residents. While Sam was not particularly proud to work for Joja Mart, when he had worked for the museum part-time, Gunther had not exactly paid Sam for his time. The skater had unintentionally applied for a volunteer position, though he should have known better because Lewis was always going on about how Pelican Town did not have the budget for trivial things like museum funding or skate parks. There was a conspiracy theory that the Mayor just used his key to clean out the museum and sell the artifacts for money, rather than Gunther's insistence that there had been a robbery. Sam would prefer not to think their Mayor was that corrupt, but he had to wonder at times.

The blond saw Shane stacking cans on the shelf from the corner of his eye and starting sweeping the floor in the scruffy man's direction. "How's it going, fam?" Sam said casually in greeting. Shane did not notice and continued about his business, but the blond knew how his co-worker operated. "Great job with the Egg Festival. If I weren't so stuffed up from the allergies, I would enjoy the good food more."

Shane shrugged, still not looking at the part-timer. "Gus made the food and Emily dyed the eggs. I didn't do much. I just collected eggs from the hens."

Sam leaned against the shelf to better see Shane's face, "Yeah, but your the one who raises and takes care of the hens, right?" he reasoned. "Without you we wouldn't have any eggs in town at all."

The older man rubbed his stubble uncomfortably. "Well if this place has a say in it, I'll be force out of business. Unless I sell them the eggs at a fraction of the price that Pierre buys them."

The part-timer frowned, "That's no good, fam." He suddenly did not feel so badly about his occasional petty theft of a Joja cola. "What are you going to do?"

Shane frowned, "I work here full-time," he said with a sigh. "So I guess if I'm not a poultry farmer anymore, this would be it for me." The tone of his voice made Sam wary of the possibility. No one wanted a local to lose their business because of this place. The blond felt badly that so many local shopped here, but with the prices, it was hard for Pierre's to compete for affordability. Sam felt determined to do something, but what? "We won't let it happen, Shane," the part-timer vowed. "So don't sweat over it."

A scoff escaped Shane. "Yeah, best of luck with that one, Sam," he replied doubtfully. The scruffy man went back to his work, signaling the end of his part in the conversation. 

The skater backed off down the length of the aisle and grinned, "Well, even if you don't believe me, you won't just be a Joja man. You've got Emily, after all." With that he winked and scurried off in a hurry. 

The full-timer froze. What was that supposed to mean? What about Emily? Did she say something to Sam? His mind began to race at the possible topics of conversation Sam and Emily could have regarding the junior town drunk. "Have Emily for what? Moral support?" he mutter to himself. The sapphire-haired woman did always have an encouraging word for him, but that did not mean that Shane was not doomed to fail. Some people were just worthless - and he was one of them. This was all his life was going to be day in and day out. He was never going to be anything worth while to anyone or anything. No one would miss or mourn him when he was gone, he should just end - He shook his head. "Stop," he begged his mind. "Just stop it..."

* * *

Abigail stood on the northern stone bridge overlooking the river like she did most weekdays. She stared at the tiny fish lurking beneath the shadow of the overpass and sighed heavily. Sam had texted her several times to check up on her since the night of the Egg Festival, but she chose not to respond. Abigail had left so quickly after she told Sam about her struggle with her own feelings toward him and she was scared to see him in person again. And yet here she was, considering entry into the place her father had forbidden her to ever step foot, just to talk to Sam. It would be irresponsible of her to bother her friend while he worked, but part of her thought it might be safer to speak in a semi-public place. Not because she worried Sam would act out, but because Abigail would keep herself in check. "Ugh, what should I do?" she muttered miserably.

She wanted to talk to Sam, but she simultaneously dreaded it. The amethyst-haired woman knew he would just sit there politely and not try to sway her one way or another. Abigail could practically hear it now: "It's cool no matter what you decide, Abi," he would say. It was infuriating. Why could Sam just not say what he wanted? Why all the beating around the bush and "boyfriend material" jokes? Why not just... ask her to be his girlfriend?! 

"UGH! I hate this!" she shouted at the ground, her head still resting on the rough stone of the bridge. Abigail considered the possibility that she would have to initiate the relationship. She loathed that idea. What if it did not work out and she and Sam ended up hating each other? Abigail did not want to take the blame for the beginning of the end of their friend group. But... what if it did work out? The woman felt the butterflies flutter in her stomach at the thought.

"So what do you hate so much?" a voice asked from behind her.

Abigail jumped, alarmed by the sudden intrusion of her inner dialogue. She turned to find Alex standing there with an obnoxious smirk on his face. Like he enjoyed that he surprised her. "What are you doing sneaking up on people?" she demanded angrily.

Alex crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one foot, holding his dog's leash in the opposite hand. "Well excuse me for going toward the sound of a damsel in distress when I hear a girl screaming. I was just minding my own business playing with Dusty," he shot back defensively, as Dusty's nose twitched to sniff Abigail. "What has you so worked up anyway?" he questioned in annoyance. "You're clearly not hurt or anything."

Abigail wanted to continue to be frustrated at Alex, but Dusty's nuzzles against her leg made it difficult to stay mad. She lowered herself to pet the old dog, and Dusty woofed happily. "I'm just... frustrated about something," Abigail admitted vaguely. "I don't know if it's worth the risk to try..."

The jock laughed, "Isn't everything a risk?" he asked with a shrug. "You got outta bed this morning didn't you?" 

The woman wiggled her fingers under Dusty's collar to give him a good scratch and the tawny dog responded by thumping his hind leg against the ground. "That's way oversimplified," she argued. "If I do the thing I want to do, it could destroy my friend group."

"Are you going to kill someone? Insult their mom? Call them a thief?"

Her light blue eyes darted to meet Alex's in exasperation. "No."

The brunet shrugged. "Then what's the problem? You too weak to do it?" he teased.

"This has nothing to do with physical strength!" Abigail shouted in irritation. 

Alex smiled, his white teeth more striking against his bronzed skin. "Well, then it should be no problem for a girl, right?"

Abigail's lips twisted into a scowl as she rose to her full height, "You sexist idiot!" she screamed, balling her fists at her side. Her fingernails dug into her palms slightly as she continued, "What the hell do you know about asking someone out?!"

The jock seemed genuinely surprised that Abigail revealed what was troubling her, even if it seemed to be on accident. Abigail hated the smirk that crept onto the brunet's tanned face. "Oh, so it's in the love department," he said with a waggle to his eyebrows. "Look, I'm flattered, but you're not my type..."

"It's not you, dumbass!" the pale woman hollered. Why was this guy so vexing? "It's -" she caught herself this time, "... someone else!"

"You don't have a problem telling someone off, so asking someone out should be easy-peasy, right?" Whether it was coincidence or good training, Dusty lowered his ears and appeared to nod in agreement.

"I know what he's going to say, I just don't know if _I'm_ ready to start dating," Abigail revealed, rubbing her arm anxiously. "I don't want this all to crash and burn and ruin our friendship in the process."

Alex frowned, "That's the dumbest shit I ever heard," he informed the woman, without hesitation. "If you're good friends now and try out the dating thing, at least you'll know it didn't work." He shrugged, "If you like each other and you don't do anything about it, you're gonna spend your whole life wondering what it would've been like." His spiky hair bounced slightly as he shook his head, "And I ain't about living life full of regrets. I work toward my goal of going pro every single day." The brunet looped the leash around his palm again and started to head back west toward home, "So go tell the guy and stop worrying about it," Alex ordered her. He turned his head toward her for a brief moment to add, "'Sides, guys like it when a girl is bold enough to make the first move." Dusty pulled his human away back toward the house, presumably catching the scent of something interesting.

Abigail watched him go both out of relief and confusion. While "going pro" was not even remotely a goal in her life, did Alex just give... decent advice? Her light blue eyes blinked slowly. Huh. Maybe there were some things she had yet to explore in Pelican Town. 

Strangely, Alex's talk made Abigail feel emboldened. Or, at the very least fueled with motivation to prove Alex that she was not weak. She was a swords-woman-in-training and no one would stop her from getting what she wanted, not even her own anxiety! The amethyst-haired woman marched toward Joja Mart and flung the glass doors open and announced her presence. "SAMSON GABRIEL!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, making the red-headed woman at the cash register jump nearly a foot in the air from surprise. Morris had emergency protocol in case the competition came to Joja Mart in-person, but she never thought it would be relevant. 

"I'm here in peace, calm down, Cheryl," Abigail snapped at the Joja Mart employee. "I'm looking for Sam."

The cashier, not entirely convinced, kept a close eye on their competitor's daughter as she charged toward the break room. "Y-you're n-not allowed back there. Employees only!" the ginger called after Abigail, who paid her no mind.

Shane, who hardly ever seemed phased by goings-on in the store, poked his head out from the aisle he was restocking to see what the commotion was about. However, upon seeing the fire in Abigail's eyes he quickly scrambled out of the way and redirected Abigail toward the opposite corner of the store, where Sam could been seen sweeping. The woman bull-rushed Sam directly into the cooler doors behind him, who stared at her with wide-eyed surprise. He blinked in surprise, lowering his headphones from his ears and turning the volume down. "Oh hey, Abi..." he said cautiously, studying her face. The blond clearly thought he was in some sort of trouble, though he could not fathom what he could have possibly done. 

Before Abigail could even think of what to say to Sam, she leaned into his body and pressed her lips against his. His mouth was warm and soft - and once he got over the initial shock, Sam began to kiss her back. The fear that held Abigail back so long started to flutter away with the butterflies in her stomach. Sam snaked his arms around her waist and Abigail looped hers around his neck as they made out right there in the middle of Joja Mart. The two were not sure how long they had been going at it when someone cleared their throat to get their attention. "Ahem." It was Morris. He stood next to the couple and adjusted his bow tie, "Sam, while I do not care what you do during your personal time off the clock, I will not allow you to collect payment while swapping saliva with the enemy!" he hissed through his teeth. "So make a decision on your next course of action very carefully, young man."

Without a word, Abigail waved the manager aside, not releasing Sam from her grip just yet. Morris scoffed indignantly and took a step back. After taking a moment to regain his composure, the manager gave an ultimatum. "Sam, I insist you clock out now and leave or you will be fired! Either way, you will be written up for this inexcusable behavior." 

Sam reluctantly tapped Abigail on the shoulder to indicate they should stop. The woman did so, although she gave Morris the stink eye as she passed the manager to exit the building and wait for Sam outside. The blond went the opposite way toward the break room, "Sorry, Mr. Morris," he apologized with goofy, wide grin that suggested he was not at all sorry for what just happened. "The competition is fierce around here," he said with a wink as he disappeared into the back.


	28. Careful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet tries speaking to Linus. Jodi reflects on her relationship with her husband when Sam announces that he and Abigail are dating and gives her son a brief "talk." Caroline is delighted that her daughter is dating Sam. Sebastian panics when he finds Violet unconscious in the mines.

Violet spent the next couple of days trying her best to save up enough for the ruby red backpack that called her like a siren each time she entered Pierre's shop. The greatest limiters to her efficient productivity was the lack of capacity in her current bag. So after tending to her field and foraging for spring onions and salmonberries in the Cindersap Forest, Violet dedicated her day to casting her line wherever she could find a shady spot to fish. After nearly a fully day and a half of labor, Violet gave the Junimos a sardine, a carp, a bream, and a sunfish. Finally she had the necessary funds to make the desired purchase. But as she ran to the front door of Pierre's shop, the thick glass did not budge.

Her heart sank as she realized the day of the week: Wednesday. Pierre closed his shop on Wednesday and therefore Violet was barred from buying her new bag. "Ugh, this sucks..." the woman groaned. While Violet knew she could technically live just fine by waiting another day, it was the fact that she was not able to get instant gratification for all her hard work that irked her so. The farmer paused to consider what to do with the rest of her day. While she could go to The Stardrop Saloon, Violet did not feel like socializing. Although she had not spoken to anyone other than Willy recently, Violet still needed to recharge her social energy to prepare for the weekend. Not to mention that Bex would arrive on Sunday to visit for a few days. While Violet was ecstatic to see her friend again, she was a bit nervous for her two worlds to collide.

What if Bex did not like her new friends and neighbors? Or, what if the people of Pelican Town did not like her best friend? Violet would be crushed either way. As long as no one fought, there would be no problem, though. Right? The woman sighed. With her luck, something would inevitably go wrong. Violet would just need to keep the peace.

So, the disappointed newcomer returned to her farm to prepare her inventory as much as possible before heading to the mines. She dumped most of her fish into the bin for Mayor Lewis and the rest into an ice chest to keep for later. Violet did not think she would need her fishing pole for the mines, so she left it at home and used the slot to bring a supply of field snacks instead. The farmer put up her hair to keep it out of her face since she knew she would likely encounter creatures to fight. The last thing Violet wanted was to get caught off-guard and get injured because her hair blocked her vision.

After taking the northern trail to the mountains, Violet spied the bearded man in yellow. She still did not know his name, ever after two weeks in town. So, while the farmer had no desire to be social today, Violet was determined to at least learn what to call him instead of "Jumanji Robin Williams," which she used as a placeholder when referring to him in her head.

Putting on her friendliest smile, Violet approached the man's campfire with a gentle wave. "Hi!"

The man's clothing rustled like the leaves Violet suspected they were as he turned quickly to face her. For a moment, the farmer thought she saw a fierceness in his eyes that frightened her, but it dissipated instantly, assuming she had not imagined it. The young woman did notice that his eyes were a similar amber color to Elliott's, though otherwise the two looked nothing alike. "I just wanted to say 'hello,'" she assured the man. "I've lived here a few weeks and I still don't know your name."

The man scratched at his snowy beard, then replied, "Linus. The name is Linus." The way he glanced at her reminded Violet of the way a squirrel scanned the area for predators and she wondered what made Linus so fearful of others. "I have to be wary of strangers. Most people don't like a 'wild man,'" he told her, as if he read her mind.

"Oh, uh..." Violet was not sure how to respond to such a statement. "Don't mind me, Linus. I'm very much a 'live and let live' kind of person, unless someone's behavior is hurting someone else."

Linus looked her up and down again, "We'll see," he muttered to himself, as he turned back to tending his campfire.

Violet pursed her lips, holding her tongue. She wanted so much to reassure Linus that she was trustworthy, but she knew from the look in his eyes that her words would fall flat until she earned Linus' trust organically. "Sure..." she finally said. "You have a good rest of your day," she told him as she veered down the eastern path that would take her to the mines.

* * *

After Abigail practically jumped him in Joja Mart that first day, Sam had been unable to wipe the smile off of his face the rest of the week. Even his mother, Jodi, noticed a change in her son's demeanor. It was not as if Sam was usually melancholy, but he started smiling in a way she had never seen on her eldest son. It reminded her of the look Kent would get when they first started dating. Jodi remembered that time fondly. As a doting mother, Jodi was dying to ask, but did not want to invade her son's privacy. It turns out, she did not have to wait much longer anyway.

That night, at family dinner, Sam proudly announced that he and Abigail were a couple. Vincent, being a typical little boy, proclaimed that all girls were gross except his mother and miss Penny and that his brother was not allowed to forget about him to hang out with Abigail all the time. "You always come first, Vincent," Sam assured his brother, sneaking a mouthful of vegetables off of Vincent's plate.

"Hey!" the child protested, gobbling down the rest of the broccoli to ensure Sam would not steal it all. The blond knew his brother hated vegetables, but Vincent was protective of what was his. It was a fun trick to get his little brother to eat his food, Sam noticed some time back. It felt sneaky, but Vincent needed to eat stuff that was good for him in addition to all the candy he was able to sneak when their mother was not looking.

Sam turned back to his mom. "Hey, mom. Is it cool if I invite Abi over for dinner tomorrow night?" The young man even offered to do most of the cooking, though Jodi had to admit she did not trust either of her sons in the kitchen as far as she could throw them. Not that she ever attempted to throw Sam or Vincent, of course.

Jodi was so proud of her son for taking initiative trying to make Abigail's favorite meal: spicy eel. While she had worried that she had coddled her boys too much by not asking them to do chores around the house, it was clear that at least with Sam that he wanted to make his girlfriend happy, even if that meant doing something he had never tried before. The mother hoped that he would start taking an interest in other things around the house if things got serious between the two. Not to mention Jodi had secretly hoped for some time that Sam would hit it off with Abigail someday. She and Caroline were already best friends, so being in-laws would surely be much easier than with a stranger. Then there was the issue of helping with the grandchildren, which would be simplified if both sets of in-laws lived in the same town, too. But maybe Jodi was getting ahead of herself... She was far too young to be a grandmother, after all.

Still, Jodi had never seen her son so happy since Kent left for Gotoro with the Army of the Republic. The woman knew it had been tough on her to go about her daily life without Kent, but she could not imagine what it was like for her boys to be without their father. Jodi knew that both Sam and Vincent loved their dad dearly and looked up to him with the utmost respect. Their mother thought of the letters her husband sent her, ones she did not share with the boys about what things were like overseas and how Kent was trying to keep it together to protect what he loved most. Jodi did not want to be a war widow, but what she most feared was that Kent would not be able to re-adjust once he returned to his family. As much as she hated to admit it, what kept her up at night most often was the thought that Kent would be left on some distant, foreign shore and the person that returned home would not be her husband or the boys' father. Kent had been dreadfully fatalistic in a few of his letters, as he believed his chances of returning at all were dwindling. It killed her inside to read some of his words.

_Jodi, honey, if I don't make it, please remember the me that walked down the aisle with you as crazy teens. We had no idea what the hell we were doing, did we? Still, I'm glad you were the one by my side all this time. I miss you so much._

_I know you didn't get to do all the things you wanted because we got married young, but I hope one day you'll forgive me. Remember the happiness we shared as a family and know that I did this to keep you all safe. I know you say you're proud and I know it was a lot to ask you to raise the boys all this time without me. But, please, please don't hate me if I don't make it back to you and the boys. Jodi, I love you and I want you to live a long and happy life..._

The words in Kent's chicken scratch handwriting tore her heart to pieces. Jodi wanted to write back and reassure her husband that he was strong enough and that he would come home safe and sound, but the woman already knew that to be false. Kent was not okay. He was too kind and gentle a soul for the horrors of war. But he also had a strong sense of duty and purpose with the army and when the call came for volunteers to defend their country, Kent could not resist. Part of her resented that her husband left, but the other part of her directed her anger at the rest of the men in town. Then again, if she expected the eligible men to go to war with her husband, Sam might have left, too. No, she could not handle that. The solider's wife knew that much. Her feelings were complicated and contradictory, so unfortunately there was not much to be done about them. Jodi often spent the lonely evenings in her room sobbing silently into her pillow. She did not want to boys to see her like this, Jodi knew she had to stay strong, especially for little Vincent. Perhaps now that Sam was seeing Abigail, she could focus on other things for a while. Jodi could use a happy distraction.

"Of course Abi can come over," she told her oldest and after some debate, Jodi reluctantly accepted that Sam would be her sous chef for the following evening. Vincent, not wanting to be left out, offered to help as long as he got to finally use a knife. This compromise took much longer, but once Sam vouched for Vincent's potential Jodi finally relented that she should give her boys some experience in the kitchen or they would never be any help to their future spouses. "Only if you do exactly as I say, Vincent. The instant you use the knife to do anything other than cut food safely, I will take it away. Do you understand?"

Vincent's large eyes shone with excitement, "Yes, mom!" He flashed her a charming smile and went off to play in his room. This left Jodi alone in the kitchen with Sam. "So..." she began, trying not to sound too prying. "Did you ask Abigail out or did she ask you?"

Sam blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he scooped another bite from his plate. "She didn't really ask... Abi just kinda kissed me at work and that was that." Her son made sure to take his time chewing so he would not have to answer any more questions right away.

But Jodi knew her son's tricks. "Oh, my!" she said, acting shocked, but the mother knew that Abigail had never been a shy girl. It good for Sam, since he was a social person himself. Abigail would likely not try to change him in that way. The only concern Jodi had was that Caroline often spoke of Abigail's obsession with the occult. Was it something that she would pull Sam into? Or would they balance each other out? Jodi chose to believe that the two would complement each other. But there was one important topic they needed to discuss while Vincent was occupied with other things. "Um, Sam, dear..."

The blond looked up from his plate, "Yeah, mom?"

Her brown eyes focused on the surface of the table between them as she fiddled with her fork. "I just want to make sure that you and Abigail are... safe," she began.

Sam's eyes widened and his face flushed with embarrassment when he realized where this was going. "We aren't even -" he began to protest, but his mother stopped him.

"I-" she paused. This was an uncomfortable topic for her and Sam both, but it needed to be done. She was not going to let Sam and Abigail repeat the mistakes she and Kent made. "Maybe not now," she continued, "but in the future you might engage in more physically _intimate_ activities..." Jodi could feel her color rising in her cheeks. She brushed her light auburn hair from her face. The shy woman never expected to have this conversation with either of her boys. _Kent should be the one giving this talk..._ she thought sadly. "And I want to make sure that you and Abigail are aware of how easily one thing can lead to another..."

Sam's face was so red that in combination with his spiky gold hair, he looked like a fiesta daisy. "Mom! We're not gonna do anything like that," he protested, "We'll just wait until we get married like you and dad!"

Jodi's face fell slightly and she pursed her lips coyly. "Sweetheart, you and Abigail have known each other a long time, so how you two _progress_ might be a bit different than what your father and I had." She braced herself, "Though, I'm ashamed to admit it," she told him in a low voice, probably to make sure Vincent did not overhear, "I was not immune to your father's charms. We thought we were already pregnant when we got married, but it was a false-"

"No, STOP!" Sam interrupted, covering his ears. The blond did not want to ruin the narrative he always believed that his parents married young because they just knew they were meant to be and could not live without each other. He refused to even consider the fact that they had a shotgun wedding. His mother looked at him pleadingly and Sam's childish resolve immediately melted. "Look, mom... I'll be careful," he promised. Sam immediately correctly himself, acknowledging his mother's point that this did not just affect him. " _We'll_ be careful."

Standing up from the table, Jodi nodded in understanding, "Thank you, Sam." While she did love her son, Jodi knew what it was like to be young, in love, and impulsive. Sam was an excellent son to her and older brother to Vincent, and she could only hope that translated to being a good, respectful boyfriend to Abigail.

* * *

Abigail knew she had to be in trouble when her mother called her to the kitchen by her full name. The sound of it made her wince in anticipation of this lecture. "Come here, please," Caroline urged when her daughter had yet to appear after the desired wait time.

"I'm coming mom, chill out!" her daughter hollered back as she entered the gathering space and headed toward the kitchen. The young woman wondered what her mother could possibly be mad about. She had helped make dinner and clean up afterward and all she wanted to do was play some of her video games for a while. But, as she rounded the corner into the kitchen, her mother's reasoning was no longer a mystery.

"There's someone here to see you," Caroline practically giggled, patting Sam's shoulder as she left the kitchen. "You two have fun now," the emerald-hair woman added with a wink.

Abigail's gaze followed her mother in disgust, "She knows, doesn't she?" the pale woman moaned miserably. She had been trying to keep her relationship with Sam on the down-low so her parents would not make a big deal about it.

Sam laughed nervously, "I... may have something to do with that," he admitted. Gently, the brown-eyed man pulled a bouquet of flowers out from behind him. "Your dad kinda asked who they were for..."

Normally, Abigail did not like flowers much, but this particular set was special. Mind you, only because her father had started a ridiculous tradition in town in order to make sales, and Sam was only encouraging him by playing along. Despite herself, Abigail's lips pulled back into a smile and she accepted them from Sam's outstretched hand. "You're a hopeless romantic, you know that?" she told Sam.

The skater shrugged, "Isn't that why you wanted to take our relationship to the next level?" he replied.

The amethyst-haired woman laughed and ran a hand through her boyfriend's spiky hair. "Nah, it's just the hair," she teased. Abigail liked that she could just touch the soft downy hair on his head now. She supposed there were some perks to officially being a couple.

Sam was pleased that Abigail was more willing to casually touch him, she could tell from the way he looked at her. "So what do you wanna call each other?"

Abigail's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean? Do you want me to call you Samso-?"

The blond covered her mouth to silence her, "Shhh! I get into trouble whenever someone uses my full name!" he informed his girlfriend. "It never fails!"

Abigail laughed at her boyfriend's superstitious. "Isn't that because the only people who call you by your name are your parents when you're _already_ in trouble?"

The blond shook his head, "Negatory, babe." Sam laughed, "You apparently called my name when you came to pounce on me at work and while it was a lot of fun, I did get written up."

"I said I was sorry," she replied, picking at the ribbon on the bouquet to get it open and place the flowers in a vase. "I just... got really worked up beforehand."

Sam smiled, "Yeah, remind me to thank Alex," he suggested with a wink. "I've got a new wing man."

Abigail sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. "You're such a dork," she told him, finally getting the ribbon undone. The woman filled the vase part-way with tap water and gently lowered the stems inside. Abigail placed the vase on the table and stepped back to admire them.

"I'm your dork now," Sam chuckled, tugging at Abigail's unbuttoned vest to pull her closer. He tilted his head to the side with a mischievous grin. "So what are you going to do with me?" he asked her with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Her bright blue eyes glanced toward the hallway, to make sure her nosy parents were not watching. When Abigail realized the coast was clear, she lifted herself up on the balls of her feet and gave Sam a peck on the cheek. "Wanna go make out?"

"Hell yeah!"

* * *

Sebastian was still in the habit of going to the lake each night when he would normally smoke, but at Maru's insistence that it would be detrimental to his "recovery journey" he did not return to his usual spot. Instead, he decided to walk around the lake to get some exercise. He tried exploring the mines for a little bit, but with no weapon and a swarm of bats heading his way, Sebastian decided to make a quick escape instead of pressing further. "Must be an unlucky day," he thought out loud. He usually at least found some interesting minerals, but that was not the case today. Maru had noticed that the "spirit forecasts" that the fortune teller gave on TV strangely coincided with the ease at which one could explore the depths of the mines. When she told him, Sebastian did not quite believe it, but lately he checked the forecast before entering the mines to confirm the prediction for himself. Sure enough, today the spirits were supposedly "very displeased."

The dark-haired man wondered how Welwick did it. Was the fortune teller legitimate? The possibility of his own magic powers made him wonder what else might be out there. He pondered on this while he walked back toward the house from the broken quarry bridge. The dim light of the hearth in the Adventurer's Guild, or as Sebastian used to call it the Tall Tales Club, flickered in the window as he passed. The young man had never entered the building, but he always spied the old warrior at the town festivals. It was one of the many parts of his hometown that you could not find anywhere else. The line where "normal" and Pelican Town's own breed of normalcy were blurred in his mind, but Sebastian was slowly beginning to realize things he took for granted were not normal outside of the Valley. 

As he approached the entrance to the mines again, Sebastian noticed movement along the outside wall of the cave. Something fluttering in and out of sight that he could never quite comprehend no matter how hard he focused. Curiosity got the better of him and the dark-haired man poked his head inside the cavernous entrance. His dark eyes widened in alarm, "Oh, shit!" he shouted, running to the unconscious woman lying flat on the stone floor. Violet's eyes were closed and tiny claw marks covered her arms and shoulders. "Violet!" Sebastian cried, checking her pulse, but failed to read it properly from her wrist. He was terrible at things like that. So he lowered his head to Violet's chest and pressed his ear against her body to make sure her heart was still beating. Sebastian exhaled with relief when he could faintly hear a heartbeat and he felt the rise and fall of her breath against his cheek. 

"Violet, c'mon," he said urgently, shaking her shoulder gently. "Wake up!" The farmer did not stir, but now that he knew she was breathing, he noticed the subtle movement as the air flowed in and out of her lungs. "Violet!" Sebastian shouted, hoping the increase in volume would wake her. The young man did not know if he should be frantic or not. She was clearly injured, but nothing seemed to be bleeding profusely. Sebastian could feel the adrenaline pumping throughout his body the longer Violet did not wake up, however. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, as he realized he was not strong enough to carry the farmer in his arms. Instead, Sebastian finally managed to get Violet on his back and carried her home as quickly as he could. 

"Maru!" Sebastian shouted, kicking on the bottom of her bedroom door from the patio. "Violet's in trouble. I think she's hurt!" 

His sister, who had been getting ready for bed, opened the door immediately and helped Sebastian lie Violet down on her bed. "What happened?" Maru asked.

Sebastian shook his head, "I-I dunno, I just found her in the mine entrance like this," he explained. "I tried to get her to wake up, but she isn't responding."

The nurse took note of Violet's vital signs and nodded encouragingly, "Her pulse and breathing are fine," she told her brother, who was looking more pale that usual with worry. Maru smiled to herself and added, "So I think she just passed out from exhaustion. The little scrapes are probably from some creatures in the mines, so I'll make sure to disinfect them, but they are too shallow to need much else." The young woman's warm eyes glanced at her older brother, "I guess we should have warned her about unlucky days, huh?" she chuckled.

"This isn't funny, Maru," Sebastian snapped, "Violet could have been seriously hurt!" Part of him worried since he had not seen Violet since the Egg Festival that he did or said something wrong. But why had he worried so much? He only saw his best friends on the weekends, too. And he had his own work to do during the week, so why should it be any different with Violet? She was a farmer and Sebastian ventured to guess that it took a lot of work to grow all those crops from seeds. And yet this stubborn girl did not know when to call it quits and rest when she needed it, apparently. Why was she so reckless?

"You're right, Violet could have been hurt more severely," the nurse agreed, "but if she got up to safety before she passed out, Violet has an impressive amount of willpower!" Maru nudged her brother with her elbow, and gave him a teasing smile. "Not to mention a lot of luck, since someone found her and brought to her to the nearest local medical professional." But the bespectacled woman recognized that Sebastian was too consumed with worry when he did not get embarrassed by the comment. Her brother paced back and forth along the length of the room, unsure of what else to do. 

"Hey, Sebastian," Maru said firmly to catch his attention.

The concerned man's dark eyes focused on his sister and he paused his anxious motion, "Yeah?" 

"Don't worry about what could have happened and focus on what did," the brunette reasoned. She stood up and took her brother's hand, "Violet's going to be okay and the best thing you can do for her is to let her rest." Maru pointed out the door of her room, "Now either stop pacing my room like a caged animal or get out," she ordered. "I'll let you know when she wakes up."

Sebastian's face flushed as he reluctantly left the room and Maru knew then that she finally got through to him. The young nurse glanced at Violet, unconscious and lightly snoring in her bed. "He's got it bad for you," she said, though Maru knew that the farmer would not respond. "My big brother is so cute when he's worried," the scientist said to herself as she sat down to work on some of her notes. After a while, Maru realized that there was a faint light emitting from the sleeping woman from the corner of her eye. Looking at her head-on, it was difficult to notice the subtle shift in the bright room, so Maru decided to turn off the lights to see if that would aid in her search.

Sure enough, Violet's right hand bore a small golden ring that glowed faintly. "That's peculiar," the researcher said aloud, gently removing the ring, and leaving the room to go study the ring under some of her lab equipment.

* * *

Sebastian sat in his room pretending to read one of his comics. His leg that jiggled up and down on the ball of his foot gave a clear sigh that he could not focus right now. The programmer had even tried doing some of his odd jobs to take his mind off of Violet's limp form. Sure, Maru said she was fine, but she had clearly gotten herself into trouble this time around. Violet got lucky and everyone's luck eventually ran out. What if next time she wasn't able to get out in time? What if she...

The dark-haired man tugged on his tapered bangs, trying to pull himself out of that frame of mind with another sensation. Sebastian could not understand why his emotions continued to cycle through a combination of anger, anxiety, and relief. "She should've just asked for someone to go with her. I literally live on the way to the damn mines..." he muttered to himself. Admittedly, he probably would have not been interested if most anyone else had asked him. Sebastian only ever entered the mines when he was especially desperate for something to kill his boredom and Sam was not available. He much preferred combat that did not involve much physicality, which is why he always chose caster classes when given the choice. Hell, he could have tried practicing to see if anything else from his RPG spell books worked for him if Violet had asked him along. The creatures on the first few levels would have been great targets. But no, she had to go solo without letting anyone know where she was going in case something went wrong. 

He sighed, stopping himself. Clearly reading was not distracting enough, so Sebastian decided to raid the fridge for a snack. Shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket, Sebastian climbed the stairs and headed into the kitchen. There was a bit of leftover bean hotpot from the other night, so he stuck it in the microwave and stirred it a few times before it was a consistent temperature throughout. The green goo was decent for soup. Not his favorite, but it was hot and filling. He swirled his spoon around making patterns in the hot liquid as he watched the steam rise and disburse into the air. It reminded him of the smoke of a cigarette and the craving immediately gripped him. "Just one..." he whispered to himself, rubbing the patch on his arm. "One can't hurt, can it?" 

He had tossed his cigs in the trash, but there was nothing else in the small can in his room and the garbage had not been collected for the week yet. He could just - His train of thought was broken by a sign of movement from across the room. It was Maru. "Violet's awake," she informed her brother and immediately turned heel to go back to her room and reclaim her bed. It was way too late to be conscious for the scientist. 

Sebastian stood up, accidentally knocking the bowl of bean hotpot and spilling some on the table, but he did not care. He needed to confirm that Violet was okay with his own eyes. As he entered the shop to get to Maru's room, he barged in without announcing himself. An annoyed Maru frowned and pointed out the door back into the shop. "Violet's not in here. She went to the bathroom. I'm going to bed!" 

Feeling foolish, Maru's brother shut the door behind him and waited awkwardly in the carpentry shop until Violet emerged. "What the hell are you doing?" Sebastian asked himself in disbelief. "She's going to think you're being weird."

"For talking to yourself?" a voice rang out in quiet laughter. "Nah, I do it all the time."

The dark-haired man knew it was Violet behind him before he turned. While he was completely mortified she overheard him and did not want her to know, Sebastian could not help but turn his head. The young man saw the exhaustion on her pallid face with grey circles under her dark sapphire eyes and the soft, weak curve of her smile. "I heard you got me out of there," Violet told him and he noticed a slight tinge of color creep onto her cheeks. "Thanks..." she whispered apologetically. "I guess I underestimated those damn bats," she confessed reluctantly.

"You're damn right you did," Sebastian snapped. "You could have gotten yourself seriously hurt! Do you have any idea how freaked out I was to find you like that?" When his dark eyes met hers, however, he saw how Violet was on the verged of tears and his anger evaporated like the steam from his bean hotpot. He scowled, "Look, don't cry. I can't handle crying." Glancing her way again, Sebastian could tell Violet was trying to hold it in now, "Just don't ever go in the mines on unlucky days again," he lectured, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. "It's not worth the risk, okay?" 

"O-okay," she sniffled. 

"I said stop crying!" Sebastian reiterated feeling the flush in his face. It was weird seeing her be so vulnerable.

"I don't handle people yelling well! Especially when it's my fault!" Violet countered, a few tears escaping her eyes. She covered her face to hide them and turned around so Sebastian would not see. 

Sebastian sighed heavily, "It's... not your fault. Someone should have warned you." He closed the gap between them and reached out a hand toward her shoulder, but decided against it at the last moment. The young man did not know how to deal with these awkward situations. Social graces were not his forte, after all. "I just... want you to be more careful. It's been a long time since we've had someone new in town who had such an accident-prone streak in them."

Violet twirled around to make a rebuttal, but her mouth froze half-open when she realized how close Sebastian was standing to her. She recovered quickly, however. "I-I'm not accident-prone!" she argued. "One instance doesn't mean I'm a klutz."

Her companion smirked in that way that made Violet's heart leap out of her chest, "Oh, yeah?" Sebastian chuckled, "Falling into the lake doesn't count?" For a moment there was silence between the two and the programmer began to feel like something was off. "... You okay, Violet?"

The woman blinked slowly and her eyes refocused. She went pale and cleared her throat, and frowned. "Of course the lake incident doesn't count!" she reasoned. "I didn't need anyone to come to my rescue. I got out of the water just fine!"

"True," the hoodied man relented, "but then there was the shadow creature."

The farmer huffed, "That was not an accident, either. The shadow was - is? - just a coincidence and completely not _my_ fault." Her blue eyes darted in his direction, "Besides, I haven't seen it since."

"Well, you didn't see it the first time, either."

Her cheeks puffed out adorably as she obviously held in her words. "I thank you for taking care of the issue," she said in an eerily level tone. "Supposedly."

"Oh, so now you're doubting the magic abilities?" Sebastian wondered out loud with a chuckle. "I thought I was the pessimist between the two of us."

Violet tilted her head in confusion, "Oh? Why is that?"

Sebastian balked at the gentle push-back, unsure of how to respond. Besides, they should not be having this conversation right now. He shook his head, "It's late," he said.

The young woman nodded, "Oh, yeah, of course. I should head home." She paused, looking up at him, and blushed when she saw Sebastian looking down at her with a soft look in his inky black eyes that she had not seen before. While the two had been shy about how close they stood at first, after a bit of conversation, it seemed more... natural. However, it was still his eyes that entrapped Violet most. The farmer did not want to look away, even though it frightened her that Sebastian would somehow know her secrets if he gazed into her eyes long enough. Her breath became a bit shaky, though as to why, Violet was unsure.

The man before her chuckled, "Look at you. You're zoning out, you're so tired," he said, turning his head away to break their eye contact. "Go home and go to sleep," he ordered firmly.

Violet nodded in agreement and side-stepped Sebastian toward the door, but something strange happened. Her body suddenly felt heavy and she could not keep her eye lids open. "What?" she whispered in fear and confusion. The farmer felt her body drop, but she could do nothing to stop it. She heard Sebastian's voice as she lost consciousness, but she could not discern the words.

Sebastian, upon seeing Violet start to fall, panicked, "Shit!" His outstretched arms broke her fall and he pulled her in close to his body to keep his balance. He looked down at her, "What the hell, Violet?" he asked, trying to shake her awake again, but to no avail. The young man looked around to see if Maru or his mom had been awakened by the noise the two had made. Nothing stirred in the silence of the house, so Sebastian figured help would not be arriving anytime soon unless he wanted to shout and wake the whole household. "Who falls asleep that quickly?" he muttered to the woman, as he wrangled her unconscious body onto his back. 

He held the position with her on his back and considered the options for a moment. Did he really have the strength to carry Violet home down the mountain? Sebastian was young, sure, but he did not work out enough to give him confidence in his ability. Then again, if Violet stayed here, he would probably lend her his bed and sleep on the couch in his room. But if he did that, there were the stairs...

While there was a slim chance of falling, Sebastian opted for letting Violet sleep off whatever this was in his room and he would not risk his strength giving out half-way to Violet's house and stranding them both outside in the middle of the night when it was supposed to rain the next day. This way, they could all get more rest. Surely Bruno would be fine if Violet did not come home tonight. The dog seemed incredibly self-sufficient.

So, slowly and carefully, Sebastian descended the stairs, hauling Violet on his back. Once he got into a rhythm, it was not so bad, actually. The handrail definitely helped. As gently as he could, Sebastian lowered Violet onto his bed and pulled off her boots. He had not seen these ones before, but he was relieved to see she was not the kind of woman who would ruin a perfectly good pair of leather boots with gaudy rhinestones. Placing the boots off to the side, Sebastian covered the unconscious farmer with the blankets and pulled a spare pillow and blanket from his closet. Violet had not moved since he set her down and it made Sebastian laugh to himself a bit, "You sleep like the dead," he told her, though he was certainly Violet could not hear.

After getting ready for bed, Sebastian settled down on the couch and lie down. Usually, he enjoyed having complete silence when falling asleep, but he noticed the quite sound of Violet's breathing was a pleasant one. "Night, you weirdo..."


	29. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin accidentally gets a confession out of the new farmer. Upon hearing part of the conversation, Sebastian makes a decision to back off for now. Abigail, Sam, and Violet discuss more about Sebastian's magical abilities. Violet receives an unexpected phone call from her brother and makes a realization as she pieces together memories from the night before.

Home. Many people probably thought of the place they lay their head to rest each night and grew up, or settled down and established themselves. But for as long as Violet could remember, "home" had been a hollow word, void of meaning or comfort. Even as a child, Violet never felt the loving warmth of a home when her parents were together. She was often stuck in the middle of their petty disputes, their constant arguing a constant buzzing in her ears. Occasionally, Zach would take pity on his little sister and take her out to escape the family drama for an evening, or if she was lucky, an entire weekend. While she and her brother had their differences, they had the same rotten parents and Zach knew first-hand that staying with either of them too long eventually got to a person. Even with all his teasing and acting like a total jerk, Zach was the only family who could provide an escape after their grandparents died.

After their parents split, Violet never stayed in one place long enough to feel "settled." The custody agreement made sure that Violet had to move between residences every week, so neither her mother's apartment nor her father's house were a home for Violet. Her mother would criticize the little blonde girl at any given opportunity and then scoff at the resulting tears or yelling. Violet's father however, said all the right things, but the affect behind the words was always absent. He was physically present, but never quite there emotionally. Violet thought that her father just seemed so worn down by life. The air was thick and still around him, it was almost suffocating.

Violet was grateful when in high school she finally found a group of friends that made her feel wanted, she could cry. That did not discount Bex's devotion as her best friend since junior high and Rebecca's mother always greeted her like her own child. But Violet needed to be able to depend on more than one person for a sorely-needed distraction and emotional support. For the first time, Violet started to feel safe opening up to other people, to that sense of belonging with a chosen family. And yet, like all things, it came to an end after high school graduation and everyone went their separate ways.

Well, almost everyone. Perhaps that's why she clung to Kyle so desperately when he finally asked her out a week after graduation, even when it became abundantly clear to everyone around them that they brought out the worst in one another. Kyle betrayed her trust too many times by seeing other girls behind her back and she used all sorts of emotional blackmail to try to get him to stay. Violet did not like who she was around him anymore and after a long night crying things over with Bex, Violet finally ended things between her and Kyle. It was messy and no one was happy, but looking back at all the signs she ignored, all the behaviors that should have never been okay, Violet did not regret the decision in the end. Unfortunately, most of Violet's former friends sided with Kyle after their break-up. Except for Bex, of course. Sometimes Violet felt like she did not deserve Rebecca in her life...

When she moved to the Valley, Violet felt a bit overwhelmed. Both by the strong sense of community the town touted and the villagers were so willing to accept her. The farmer knew that this place, where she had so many happy memories with her grandparents and had already created new ones in the short times she lived in Pelican Town, was rich with the stuff of life. Violet could feel it deep in her soul that she finally started putting down roots. So, when Sebastian said she should go home and sleep, was Pelican Town as a whole her home, or was it all the neighbors that made this place home? Or... perhaps it was the person who made her feel safest? Was it in those deep, ink-black eyes that she often lost herself in a way that excited and terrified her all at once...?

The gentle tapping of water against the glass of the windows told Violet that it was raining outside. She yawned deeply, stretching her body out in a cat-like manner on the bed. In her drowsy unwillingness to get out of bed, the young woman rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow to her chest. Breathing in, she inhaled a familiar scent, but something was off... Her eyelids fluttered open and Violet found herself in an unfamiliar room.

"Oh, fuck," she said to herself quietly. "I didn't even make it home last night." She swung her legs off the bed to stand and noticed that her feet were now bare, but otherwise she was still fully clothed. The tiny scratches are on arms were mending nicely. They would probably be gone in a few days. Hopefully before Bex arrived this weekend, otherwise Violet was guaranteed to get another lecture.

Looking about the room, Violet found that the walls were grey stone, with the lower half covered in warm, wooden panels. There were some video game posters decorating the walls and much to her delight, a table across the room that appeared to be used for tabletop gaming. Did people in this town actually play RPGs? Violet wondered. It was then she noticed Sebastian sleeping on a black couch near the door.

Sebastian must have lent her use of his room. But how did it come to this? Sure, Violet had been exhausted the night before, but after her nap in Maru's room, she could have made it home to crash in her own bed.

Violet remembered being alarmed that she was losing consciousness before she fell asleep, but what had happened right before then? She racked her brain trying to recall. Sebastian suggested she go home and go to sleep. Violet had agreed and started heading for the door and then... darkness.

If Sebastian had drugged her, he probably would not have been so gentlemanly to tuck her into bed and sleep on the couch in his own house. And despite Violet's experience with betrayal from a male friend, Sebastian did not strike her as that kind of creep. What else could have possibly happened? Violet did not think that something like narcolepsy would develop so late and suddenly in life. So why the hell had she fallen asleep while standing? And what was it with weirdly falling asleep in this town? First Sebastian's magical creature-induced sleep and now this!

Was last night somehow related to the first incident? Maybe not a shadow creature, but... perhaps Sebastian inadvertently used magic somehow? No, that couldn't be right, Violet decided. Her new friend did not use a spell, they were just having a regular conversation.

She glanced at the young man asleep on the sofa. Sebastian's features looked so soft when he slept, so strangely vulnerable. His usual down-turned lips rested in a slight upward curve. He had slept shirtless, though his sheets were pulled up to his chest. The memory of when he emerged from the bathroom fresh out of the shower flashed in her mind, and how close their faces had been when he helped her up from the ground at the Egg Festival, his laughter. Violet turned away immediately, feeling somewhat guilty for observing Sebastian in his sleep and having such.. thoughts. Even if Abigail was not there to catch her in the act this time, it wasn't right.

Exhaling her nervousness, the farmer decided she should get home to Bruno and her crops. Since it was raining, Violet did not have to beat the heat of the sun today so that was a lucky break. She spied several doors in the room and tried to find the exit. Near the gaming table, Violet found a bathroom first, which she suddenly noticed she desperately needed to use. Figuring most people would not mind if a guest used their bathroom, Violet closed the door behind her.

As she washed her hands when she was finished, the floral-haired woman could not help but notice there were two toothbrushes in the cup on the counter top. Violet was not sure why her heart sank at first. Sebastian had never specified that he was single, but then why was he pining over Abigail so long if he already had someone? Had he started seeing someone in the last few days? Violet supposed it was possible. He had the basement floor to himself, so guests were probably not noticed as easily, even if Sebastian was still living with his parents. Or maybe Robin and Demetrius were just cool with that sort of thing. Most of the young adults in town still lived with family. It's not like there was any semblance of a real estate market in this town, unless you wanted to move to the city. Maybe that's why Sebastian wanted to move. This person might live in the city, and while Zuzu was relatively close, not living in the same zip code could sometimes kill a relationship in its early stages especially. _Boy, do I know how to pick 'em,_ Violet thought to herself in annoyance.

As much as she hated to admit it to herself, Bex was right. Violet did like Sebastian a lot, but part of her screamed that she repeat past mistakes if she ever dated again. Besides, Sebastian was going to leave town when he finally saved up enough. For all the farmer knew, Sebastian was already taken and would be moving later this year. What was she thinking, crushing on someone so unavailable?

Violet scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed her face, rubbing away the grime from the night before. "Don't be an idiot," she told her reflection. "You literally have a clean slate here, don't fuck it up." Her deepest fear was losing all her friends in a break-up again. Mutual friends always chose sides and she could not afford that in such a small town. Sebastian lived in Pelican Town most of his life. Violet knew she would lose that battle and she knew could not handle that kind of devastating loss again.

Leaving the bathroom, Violet made sure to keep quiet so not to wake Sebastian. The farmer found the door leading upstairs and did her best to close the door behind her as silently as possible. Luckily, the stairs were not particularly creaky and Violet cracked open the door at the top of the stairs.

* * *

Robin entered her shop on that rainy Thursday morning to open for business and nearly flat on her face as she tripped over something on the floor. Luckily, the carpenter caught herself and avoided a serious spill. The ginger turned to find a familiar backpack on the floor, though Robin could not figure out why Violet's bag would be there in the first place. She did have a suspect, however. Robin approached the bedroom door and rapped on the door gently, "Maru, sweetie. May I come in?"

"Sure, mom!" her daughter replied. As Robin entered, she saw her daughter tinkering with one of her small gadgets on the floor. "What's up?"

The woman paused, trying to discern the best way to ask her question. Instead she decided to start with a statement, "Violet's backpack is in the shop. Do you know anything about that?"

Maru looked puzzled, "I thought she went home last night after I looked her over."

"Looked her over?"

The scientist nodded, "Yeah, Violet passed out in the mines and Sebastian found her and brought her here," she informed her mother. Upon seeing the worried expression on Robin's face, Maru added, "She was fine, just exhausted.

"So, she either forgot her bag, or..." Robin trailed off. _She's still in the house,_ the red-head thought gleefully. "Thank you, dear!" The woman returned to the shop and scooped up the bag, which was surprisingly heavy, and plopped it behind the counter so no one else would trip over it. The woman smiled to herself as she leaned on the sturdy wooden counter to wait, glancing over at the basement door expectantly. _Oh, my Sebby might finally have a girlfriend!_

* * *

Violet peeked out from the basement and nearly fell backward down the stairs when Robin chirped, "Good morning, Violet!" with a bright smile to greet her.

The farmer was embarrassed to be caught leaving a man's room by his mother, even if nothing happened between them, there were always assumptions made. "Oh, uh... What a fine morning it is, Robin," she replied awkwardly. _Who the hell talks like that?_ she yelled at herself internally. _Play it cool!_

"Are you feeling alright today, sweetie? Maru told me you passed out in the mines," Robin asked with the concerned tone of a mother. "I'm so glad that Sebby found you. He did the right thing bringing you here." The ginger looked so proud of her children for handling the situation, Violet noticed. Maybe this would not be as painful as she thought.

Violet nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I was lucky. I feel much better after some rest," she assured Robin. "Sebastian was very gentlemanly and let me borrow his bed while he slept on the couch." Even if the farmer recognized that Robin seemed okay with Violet spending the night in her son's room, the young woman wanted to be sure to set the record straight. "I... am missing my bag, though. Do you know where it is?"

Robin chuckled, "I nearly tripped over it, but I've got your stuff right here behind the counter." The carpenter hoisted the grey bag up to hand off to the farmer.

The younger woman paled, and her dark blue eyes widened in horror. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I hope you weren't hurt!" she stammered as she accepted and shouldered her backpack. The last thing Violet wanted was for someone to get hurt due to her negligence.

The carpenter waved off the apology. "No harm, no foul." She leaned over the counter with a serious expression on her face and locked eyes with Violet. The ginger decided to use an old tactic her mother used on her when she was young and unattached. "So word around the village is you have a crush on someone..." Robin said with a wink.

Violet's mouth hung open wide. "Wh-what?" the short woman felt herself panicking. "Who - who told you? All I said to Leah and Elliott was that Sebastian was attractive!" Violet replied defensively. She knew the word vomit was coming, but the farmer could not stop herself. "And sure I get nervous around him sometimes and every once and a while his words catch me off-guard and fluster me." Violet could feel the heat of embarrassment rise in her body as Robin's face stretched into a smile.

"Oh, Violet!" Robin responded, withholding her laughter behind her hand. "I was only teasing, I'm so sorry!" She had no idea her mother's tricks would result in an actual round-about confession. It had never worked on her, after all.

But the young woman could not stop herself there, she needed to add her caveats so that Robin would not get the wrong idea. "B-but Sebastian is seeing someone anyway and my last relationship was terrible and I regret it all the time. And I just moved here, so no matter how often I think about him-" she covered her mouth to silence herself, and her crimson face went white as a ghost. There was no fixing this now, in Violet's attempt to remedy the situation, she said too much! The young woman's stomach turned as she realized that Robin now knew she had a crush on her son. Sebastian's _mother_ knew! Mortified, Violet spun on her heel toward the door and fled the carpentry shop as fast as her legs could carry her.

Robin did everything she could to contain herself until the farmer was out of sight. "Oh, poor girl," she sighed, but the red-head did not regret her actions in the slightest. The carpenter was ecstatic that Violet admitted an attraction to Sebastian. Now if only Violet would say something! Her son might have a chance with this young lady. Sebastian could use a bit of confidence and Violet was absolutely adorable. After her brain finally processed the last few things the farmer said, Robin puzzled over one comment in particular. "Why in the world do you think that Sebastian has a girlfriend already?" she asked aloud to no one, since Violet was already well on her way home.

The carpenter then realized she had forgotten to pay Violet for finding her axe. Hm, maybe she should just start a fund toward Violet's house upgrade? The middle aged woman took out a pen and paper to write down a reminder for Violet's credit of two-hundred fifty gold toward her house upgrade.

* * *

Sebastian woke up with a crick in his neck. Sitting up, the drowsy man rubbed the sore muscles and glanced around the room. He found his bed empty, which meant Violet had already left without saying good-bye. Why was that so disappointing? He would see her tomorrow at The Stardrop Saloon anyway and it's not like he was looking for her to thank him again. He sighed and got up. Well, either way, Sebastian could reclaim his bed.

Flopping over, he shut his eyes and lie still, trying to allow the rain tapping on the windows lull him back to sleep. After a few minutes, Sebastian heard the clicking of his bathroom door open and he realized that Violet had not left after all. _Oh, shit. She's going to think I'm a creep,_ he thought, dreading when Violet would come back to bed. But, instead of that, Sebastian heard the opening of a second door and gentle footfalls heading up the stairs. Relief washed over him, but as soon as the tenseness passed, Sebastian noticed he felt a bit sad that Violet had not tried to wake him to say good-bye. Maybe he could offer her some breakfast before she left for home so they could talk about comics or something.

Ascending the stairs, Sebastian heard Violet's voice speaking without taking breaths in between her sentences. She sounded panicked. The door was already ajar and he paused at the top of the stairs to assess the situation. "... My last relationship was terrible and I regret it all the time. And I Just moved here, so no matter how often I think about him-" Sebastian could hear Violet's hand clap over her mouth before she turned heel and left the shop. His mother stood behind the counter and watched the floral-haired woman leave. "Oh, poor girl," Robin said to herself.

Sebastian, having heard enough, retreated back downstairs to his room. _So Violet's hung up on some ex-boyfriend, huh?_ Sebastian scoffed. She did not seem like the type, but then again, it's not like he knew everything about her yet. _At least the guy doesn't live anywhere near here._ He hated the idea of having any former flame of Violet's within reasonable distance. Just the thought of some other guy holding her made him - _Ugh, stop that,_ Sebastiantold himself. The man tried to think back to previous conversations he had with Violet. Had she ever mentioned the guy? Violet definitely mentioned a brother at one point. Sebastian assumed he was an older sibling based on Violet's level of annoyance in her tone of voice. The programmer wondered if Violet's brother was the overprotective type or not. Maybe this brother of hers drove off this ex-boyfriend? Nah, that didn't make sense. Violet said she regretted the relationship so Sebastian doubted her brother had to intervene. Either way, it sounded like trying to start anything with Violet anytime soon was a bad idea. Not that he was anywhere near ready to ask her out. If Sebastian was going to act on his attraction toward Violet, it would not be out of jealousy towards some dumb ex of hers. Sebastian was going to have to play it cool. Oh, who was he kidding? He was a giant nerd. Since when was he "cool?" Still, maybe Violet was into that. Sebastian found himself hoping that his new friend might be into his brand of weird the way he was into hers.

For now, the dark-haired gamer decided it would be best to just focus on trying to be a good friend and if something happened along the way, there was nothing wrong with that. No pressure made things easier, right?

* * *

After putting some distance between herself and the mountain of embarrassment she created, Violet realized she had not completed her main objective yesterday. Today, however, was Thursday and she could finally get her new backpack. Continuing her way south, the farmer arrived in town and entered the shop. "My precious!" she announced a bit too loudly as her dark blue eyes landed on the ruby backpack on the sales counter.

Pierre was pleased he did not have to make a sale pitch to get Violet to make a significant purchase. "Would that be all for today?" he asked, ringing up the item in his cash register.

Violet nodded in confirmation. "Yes, thank you, Pierre." She clutched the new bag to her chest and grinned, muttering about fewer trips back and forth due to a shortage of space.

"Hey, Violet!" Abigail's voice called from behind the shelves. The grocer's daughter waved the farmer over. "Emergency girl talk. Now!"

"Uh, sure..." Violet agreed, following Abigail to her room and perching upon the stool while Abigail sat on her bed. "What's up?"

Abigail sighed, "So Sam and I are dating now..." she began. "As of Monday."

"Why don't you sound happy? Is something wrong?"

"I'm worried how Sebastian is going to react..." the younger of the two admitted.

The farmer perked up upon hearing those words, realizing why Abigail wanted to speak with her. "Sebastian doesn't know yet, does he?"

The woman with gem-tone hair grimaced. "Yeah..." Abigail's face contorted in anguish and she started to talk with her hands as well. "And I don't know what to tell him 'cause we definitely were not a thing before the whole fight after Vincent's birthday party, but now it looks like we were..." She dragged her hand across her face, raking her fingers down toward her chin. "It's a mess," she groaned.

"Well, you literally just told me that you and Sam got together on Monday, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Abigail questioned.

"So you're fine." Violet shrugged, "He might already be seeing someone new anyway, so what does it matter?"

Abigail flashed a smile, "Violet!" she shouted in a mockingly scandalized tone. "I thought you said you weren't-"

"It's not me!" the farmer insisted immediately, balling her fists in her lap. "But I think he might be seeing someone."

The paler woman looked at her friend incredulously. "You're kidding, right?" she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What in the world makes you think that he found someone so quickly?"

The farmer avoided looking at her. "I... H-he had a second toothbrush in his bathroom," she admitted, slightly embarrassed. Now that she said it aloud, an old toothbrush being her only evidence sounded ridiculous.

Abigail burst out laughing, "He could have just been too lazy to throw out the old one!" she reasoned. The vest-clad woman smacked Violet on the back, "I dare you to ask Sebastian about that toothbrush, please. If only so you can laugh at how dumb you _both_ are being!"

Violet bristled slightly at the teasing, but even she could recognize she had let her imagination run wild. "So... you don't think he's seeing someone in Zuzu City? I thought maybe that's why he wants to move there..."

"I know Sebastian likes somebody, but she doesn't live in ZuZu City," Abigail said confidently. "He just wants to get out of this small town away from his family." She stopped to consider for a moment, "But I think lately things have been improving and he's got his eye on someone else that will keep him around for a while."

Violet's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh..." Abigail could not possibly mean her, right? It had to be someone else in town. "I hope it works out for him."

A hand slapped onto the Abigail's face. She could not believe that Violet could be this dense, but the light-eyed woman was not about to interfere more than she already had. "I hope it does, too. But something tells me they are on two different planets right now." The woman slipped a finger under her choker necklace to adjust the ribbon. "Now," Abigail said, refocusing their discussion, "Any suggestions on how to explain Sam and I to Sebastian?"

"I can't say I would be of any use in this situation..." Violet admitted sheepishly. "The only serious relationship I had with someone who I friended first ended terribly and I lost all my other friends after the breakup."

"What?!" Abigail replied. "You told me not to worry about it and just go ahead and date Sam!"

The farmer shook her head, "I told you not to focus so much on the infinite possibilities where the grass is always greener and focus on what makes you happy!" Her dark blue eyes glanced at her friend, "Well, are you happy with Sam?"

Abigail sighed, and slumped onto her bed. "Yes!" she moaned. 

"Then what's the problem?" 

The reclined woman stared at Violet, "Sebastian," she said. "He had a huge crush on me for years and I start dating his best friend literally less than a week after I rejected him."

"And that's your responsibility... how?" Violet wondered aloud. "Sam is Sebastian's friend, too. And as much as it sucks for Sebastian, he's going to have to deal with it." Resting her heels on the cross-bar of the stool legs, she shrugged, "Sebastian is tough, he'll get through it just fine. He might be a grump about it for a while, but I have faith he'll come around."

"You're awfully confident for someone who has only lived here for such a short time," Abigail complained.

Violet gave a shy smile, "Sebastian's a good guy, he just doesn't always know how to deal with bottled up emotions sometimes." The farmer wrapped her arms around herself that made Abigail think she was trying to protect herself from something, "I get that..." The floral-haired woman chuckled softly under her breath, "Besides, he knows when he should apologize for being a jerk. I've known a lot of people who refuse to admit that. So as childish as he can be sometimes, I think Sebastian's heart is in the right place." Violet shook her head and looked up at Abigail, "Hey, this is going to sound weird, but... Has anything you could not explain ever happened around Sebastian?"

Sitting up, Abigail pondered for a moment, "Nothing comes to mind. What's up?"

The newcomer explained her mysterious and sudden sleep that came about as she was about to head home the previous night. "I was tired, sure," Violet admitted, "But not _that_ tired."

Abigail's forefinger rested on her chin, "What were the exact words he said to you again?"

Violet closed her eyes and tried to listen to the words in her head as she remembered. She could hear Sebastian's soft tone echoing in her mind and she repeated the words as she remembered the way his face had looked so bashfully concerned as he turned his face away. "Go home and go to sleep." 

Her companion thought for a moment. "And you suspect this might be related to Sebastian's magic?"

It sounded silly when someone else said it, but Violet had no other way to explain what happened at this point. "Maybe?"

The amethyst-haired woman pursed her lips, "Well, what did you say afterward?"

"I didn't, I just agreed that it was a good idea," Violet informed her new friend. "Then... darkness."

"Ooooh, consent magic," a playful voice chimed in. "That sounds sexy."

"SAM!" Abigail shouted angrily, whipping her head toward the door to her room. "I know we're dating now, but you can't just barge in like that. Violet and I were having a private conversation!"

The blond held up his hands above his head to signal his surrender and flashed his teeth in a charming smile, "You're right, babe. My bad. I'll be sure to announce my presence and ruin any chances we have at figuring out Sebastian's mysterious powers."

Violet smirked at Sam's antics, but spoke up, "You think it might be magic, too? 'Consent magic,' you said? What's that?

"You know how in RPGs some spells require the target to be willing?." He gave a quick example, "Like dimension door. Or status buffs." 

"Nerds!" Abigail interjected in annoyance.

The former RPG player nodded, and thought she understood where Sam was going with this. "So you think because I agreed it was a good idea, the magic worked?"

"There's only one way to find out," the skater stated, cracking open a can of Joja cola and taking a quick swig. "We could have Sebastian test out his skills on us and see what happens."

"You two are forgetting a key component here," Abigail pointed out. "Sebastian told Violet to 'go home and go to sleep.' She wasn't home yet!"

Sam tilted his head, as if doing so helped him think. "I mean, Violet lives in the Valley now, right?" He gently helped Abigail up from off her bed and wrapped his arms around her, "Besides, I feel at home whenever I'm with you, Abi. Maybe the magic isn't so specific?"

Violet averted her gaze to give the two a little privacy. Abigail, realizing that her friend was a bit uncomfortable, blushed and shoved her boyfriend away from her, "Violet's literally sitting right there!" she complained, though only halfheartedly. "Control yourself a little."

"Sorry, V," the blond apologized to Violet, removing himself from Abigail's personal space. "I don't wanna make you feel like a third wheel."

"It's fine, I get it," the farmer assured her friends. "You two just started dating, it's natural to be so lovey-dovey." She glanced at Abigail and Sam apologetically, "I should get going, though. Bruno's been home alone long enough and I have some crops to harvest today." While it was true Violet wanted to check on Bruno, the latter half of her excuse was a white lie. The new farmer did not have any crops mature enough to uproot today, but she wanted to leave the two alone to spend some quality time as boyfriend and girlfriend. "I'll see you both tomorrow," Violet said in dismissal.

As she walked home, the farmer felt a twinge of sadness. Sam and Abigail were clearly happy together and she wished them the best. Violet wondered if she would ever have someone look at her the soft, adoring way Sam looked at Abigail. The young woman felt like she had invaded such an intimate moment when he saw the manner Sam gazed at Abigail, she flushed simply remembering it. Part of Violet hoped that her parents were in love like that at some point in their lives, even if that spark was gone by the time she came into existence. The other half of her doubted they ever really loved each other, but then again, Violet herself never saw any evidence. Hell, Zach already seemed jaded by the idea of love for as long as Violet could remember. The young woman felt sorry for her older brother that way. At least she had him as an older sibling. Zach had to face it all alone until Violet was born, even if she was a clingy little sister.

As if summoned, Violet's phone rang and her brother's name flashed on the screen as she retrieved it from her back pocket. "Zach?" the woman said questioningly. "What are you doing calling me? You never do that!"

Her older brother feigned hurt, "Violet! Can't a man call to check up on his baby sister without an ulterior motive?" Violet could tell from the tone of Zach's voice he was pouting on the other end of the line, even if only to play up the theatrics. 

"You're a lawyer," his little sister shot back, "You're at least 50% ulterior motives."

"Thirty tops," Zach countered humorously. "Now, on to business: I am coming to check up on you and the state of the old farm soon. I need to know what accommodations to expect."

Violet laughed, "I have a trundle bed and the studio apartment equivalent of a house. No kitchen." She smirked, though her brother could not see, "You won't last a day out here."

Her older brother sounded appalled, "I _know_ that place used to have a kitchen and an upstairs with guest rooms. Granny and gramps did not modify the house in any way before they kicked the bucket. Their estate explicitly listed -" Violet could hear Zach drumming his fingers on the desk, "Something happened between then and you claiming the inheritance. And it reeks of Lewis," he informed his baby sister. "Give me two days, tops. Toodles, sis." 

Before Violet could ask what was going on, or when exactly Zach planned on visiting, her brother hung up. Typical. Her brother was a whirlwind incarnate if anything. Clearly he was on some sort of mission and Violet worried it would result in someone being extorted or blackmailed in some manner. The woman tried to comfort herself knowing that usually Zach only did these sorts of things to people who deserved it. Usually... Violet acknowledged that was where she and her brother disagreed on a lot of things. The farmer sighed. She was exhausted and just wanted to go home and back to bed. Her own bed!

So, Violet returned to her farm house and made sure Bruno was doing well before she tidied up around inside for a bit, just in case her brother decided to make his visit sooner rather than later. Then, after a filling meal and allowing Bruno to steal the rest, Violet changed into her pajamas to have a lazy rest of the day reading in bed. As she read, the woman felt herself falling asleep, so she snuggled down into her blankets and placed her book down next to her. Inhaling deeply, Violet caught scent of the spring rain outside and something else... It was faint, but Violet recalled she had definitely smelled it earlier that day... "It smells like... Sebastian," she realized slowly. Like mountain air, pine needles, spices, and the faintest traces of tobacco smoke. Why had that scent clung to her? And how did she know that's what he smelled like? Sure, he slept in his bed, which probably smelled like its usual occupant, but that was not really enough, was it?

She closed her eyes again and the vague memory of being carried gently filled her mind. "Don't you give up on me," a voice pleaded. Sebastian's voice. "Look, I know we hardly know each other, but you're the first person around here to get me. And... and I wanna get to know you, too." He sounded so desperate... Had he been crying? "So don't you go dying on me, Violet. You're not allowed to die." Violet's fingers brushed against her face. Had Sebastian really been so frightened? And yet, the way he scolded her last night for being so reckless. Then there was the way his body language softened when he saw her cry. He had been worried for her life.

Violet clutched her blankets to her chest and recalled what Abigail told her earlier during their talk. _He's got his eye on someone else that will keep him around for a while_ , her friend told her. Her cobalt eyes dilated as she put the pieces together and she bit her lower lip, glancing down at the shirt she wore. Of course it smelled like him, even if only a little bit. No wonder it did not look like it was Maru's style, it was her brother's! This was Sebastian's shirt. This explained so much. That is why Sebastian seemed so surprised that Violet had his shirt and why he was the one who told her she could keep it. This was the scent she breathed in every night as she went to sleep. This shirt smelled like home. And assuming that Sam's hypothesis was correct, that's why when Sebastian told her to go _home_ and go to sleep, she did right then and there! Sebastian was made her feel protected, free to be herself, cared about... "Oh, fuck," she whispered to herself as the gravity of the situation fell on her. The woman lowered her head to rest on her knees and gripped her head on either side with her hands.

It was one thing to have an unrequited crush, but Violet now knew that at least one of his best friends thought he might return that infatuation. "It's just a crush," she told herself, "It doesn't have to mean anything." And yet, Violet knew if she could not get her head and her heart to agree to stay away from any romantic entanglements, she was in deep trouble.


	30. The Nature of Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lewis hires Robin to upgrade the Fairy Rose farmhouse under shady circumstances. The carpenter and the farmer have an unexpected heart-to-heart. Sebastian concocts a plan to contact Krobus. Sam asks Sebastian to meet up early to chat before everyone else arrives at The Stardrop Saloon. Maru and Demetrius set some boundaries. Violet meets the mysterious traveling merchant.

Robin had hardly finished unlocking the front door to open her carpentry shop for business that bright sunny Friday morning when Lewis burst in and slapped a sack of gold onto the counter. "This is for the house upgrade," he muttered miserably under his mustache. The Mayor was disheveled with his yellow tie crooked, his emerald green shirt buttons fastened in the wrong holes, and his suspenders sliding off his left shoulder. By the grave look on his face, someone had clearly put the fear of Yoba in him.

"Come again?" the ginger asked to clarify. "Isn't your mayoral mansion already upgraded to your liking?" Robin questioned sarcastically.

Lewis shook his head and thrust the sack of gold closer to the carpenter. "No, no, no," Lewis said in a hushed voice. "It's for Fairy Rose Farm. Get on the job immediately or that damn lawyer will sue!"

"Lawyer?" Robin repeated questioningly.

Lewis's eyes darted around like a wary mouse trying to take a piece of cheese off of a trap. "I've said too much," he replied. The old man's dark eyes urged her on. "Just get started right away, Robin. Hurry!"

The carpenter quickly took a count of the coins in the pouch and once she was satisfied she had been paid in full, Robin smiled sweetly at the Mayor. "Thank you for doing business, Lewis. The local economy appreciates your patronage."

"Oh, save it, Robin," the old man snapped. His beady eyes narrowed at the woman scornfully, "If it was you who put him up to this..."

"While I am always happy to upgrade a house in town," Robin responded, "I have no idea who this lawyer is, but I would love to get his contact information if he ruffled your feathers this easily."

The mustached man shot her a look, but said nothing as he exited the shop. Robin, quite pleased with this development, gathered up her tools and went to the lab to find her husband. The woman kissed her husband on his copper cheek and smiled, "I'm off on a job. I'll be back in time to go to The Stardrop Saloon."

Demetrius paused and looked away from his microscope. "Where's the job?" he asked curiously. Normally his wife did not start a project the same day it was ordered and as far as he was aware no business was drummed up the previous day.

"Fairy Rose Farm!" Robin informed the scientist with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Demetrius knew that look. By now he also learned not to ask questions or he might get answers regarding subjects he did not want to know.

"Enjoy yourself, Robin," he replied, giving his wife a little rub on the shoulder. "Can I make you any lunch to-go?"

The pale woman declined, "I've already got food packed, but thank you, love." She gave him another quick squeeze around his waist before she headed out. "See you tonight!" she called from the front door and the little bell chimed as Robin headed west down the mountain toward the old farmhouse.

* * *

Violet performed her morning routine as usual. The farmer watered her crops, harvested her kale and potatoes, washed and sorted them, and then packed most of them away to sell to Pierre later that day. She even tried to stick the mysterious green shoots she found in the mines the night before just to see what they would produce. Bruno seemed happy to have his human back on the farm overnight and Violet appreciated having her furry companion around while she had a slight emotional crisis throughout the night. Violet spent much of the previous evening snuggling her giant dog, stroking his soft fur, and mulling over how to handle the situation with Sebastian. Should she play ignorant? Or straight-up tell him that while the feelings were mutual, she did not want to pursue anything right now? Violet worried that if she went so far as to preemptively reject Sebastian, it would ruin their budding friendship. Besides, rejecting the feelings of someone you knew you liked back seemed... dishonest.

Thoughts of this nature kept Violet awake most of the night, and what stopped her from changing out of new favorite shirt once she discovered its origin. The floral-haired woman sighed deeply, unsure of what to do. _Maybe Bex will know..._ she thought to herself. But her best friend would not be here until Sunday evening or Monday morning, depending on when she could get off work and get the truck from Violet's father.

The farmer knew she could not sit and wallow in her thoughts all day, however. So, as she got ready to head into town, Violet noticed the little red flag on her mailbox was up, indicating she had a letter. It was a request from Jodi for a cauliflower. It was a shame she had not received this request before she had harvested her previous batch of the white cruciferous vegetables. The young woman made note to set aside one for Jodi once the seeds she got from Gunther matured late next week. The 25th was going to be a busy harvest day, the new farmer thought to herself. Luckily, that was the day after the Flower Dance.

 _Oh, shit. The Flower Dance_. What was she going to do about the Flower Dance? Everyone was going to get dressed up, looking their best. Violet knew she was weak to men in formal attire. Especially button-up shirts with their sleeves rolled up and the first few buttons from the collar undone. That was bound to happen as people wound down from a day of dancing.

"I just won't go!" she announced to the air, throwing up her arms in defeat. Violet started to reason with herself on why she should not attend the festival. "That way, I don't have to worry about getting all flustered and saying or doing something problematic that would lead anyone on..." But then the woman remembered that Bex was coming to visit her in Pelican Town because Violet had invited her to the Flower Dance. There was no way Rebecca was going to miss out on an opportunity to show off one of her natural talents. Her best friend would not let Violet avoid the situation, either. It was in Bex's nature to address things head-on and she was a firm believer in making sure Violet did the same "for her own good."

Violet resigned herself to awkward fumbling and embarrassment. There was no getting out of this, after all. The farmer could not let this stop her from getting things done today, though. Violet wanted to make things perfect for Bex's arrival, so she decided to do a bit more tidying up in her little farmhouse before going into town to sell her vegetables. About twenty minutes into her cleaning, Violet heard a hammering on the side of her house that made her nearly jump out of her skin.

The farmer quickly ran outside to see what in the world was going on. Turning the corner around her house, Violet found Robin starting to remove nails from the exterior of her home. "Robin! What are you doing?!" the young woman exclaimed in alarm.

A friendly smile flashed across the carpenter's face. "Working on your house upgrade, silly girl," she informed the house's occupant. "Didn't the Mayor tell you?"

The farmer was baffled and for a moment, could not think of what to say. "Wh-Why is Mayor Lewis upgrading my house?"

Robin chuckled, clearly amused by something Violet did not understand. "I was hoping you could tell me," the carpenter replied. "The old man came into my shop first thing this morning looking like he had seen a ghost and muttering curses at some lawyer."

Violet's face went ashen grey, but not from her lack of sleep. "Oh, no..."

The ginger paused, realizing that Violet seemed to comprehend the situation and was unhappy about it. "I assume you know which lawyer contacted Lewis, then?"

The new farmer buried her face in her hands, "He's my meddling older brother!" she shouted in annoyance. "I don't know what he did, but it can't be good."

Robin approached the young woman and patted her sympathetically on the shoulder. "Hey, if he got Lewis to act this quickly, maybe we can hire him to get the old man on board with infrastructure projects the town desperately needs."

Violet's hair whipped around as her head shot up to look at Robin in alarm. "NO!" she plead with the carpenter. "Do not hire my brother unless you want to sell your soul! There is a reason he's already so successful despite being in his early thirties..." The poor girl looked miserable but Robin could not help but laugh at the dramatic warning. "He's known as the Fairy King Oberon of the NuNu City district court system. He'll get you what you want, but you may not like the price you pay!"

"I'm sure your brother is not as bad as all that," Robin assured the despondent twenty-something, gathering up her tools again to get back to her work. "Either way, you get a bigger house and kitchen out of it and I get paid."

The young farmer perked up hearing this logic. "I get a kitchen?" she repeated, her tone that of someone not quite sure if they should allow themselves to hope.

Another nail came loose as she pried it gently from the side of the house so that Robin could expand the exterior. "That's right, in three days you'll have a fully functional kitchen." The shorter woman's face contorted in a series of expressions that suggested to Robin that Violet might be having a crisis of conscience. So the older woman added, "If it makes you feel any better, this will be good for the local economy in a lot of ways. Now you can focus on saving up for farming equipment upgrades in Clint's shop and the more efficient you become, the more local food is grown right here in the Valley for all the townsfolk to buy at Pierre's. I would not worry about it, sweetie."

Violet seemed to accept the carpenter's logic and nodded in agreement. "Okay," she finally relented. It would be nice to have somewhere to cook her friend some meals when Bex came to visit. She did miss cooking and once she had use of a kitchen again, the farmer could eat healthier meals. Not to mention she could invite others over for dinner. That was always a great way to bond. People loved eating! "But I'll have to invite you over to dinner sometime as a thank you."

Robin's face stretched in a friendly smile, "I would love that, dear. Thank you."

"So..." Violet began, trying to start a casual conversation. "What got you into carpentry?"

The ginger sighed fondly. "Well, back in the day we had this thing called 'shop class' in public schools. A lot of them have done away with it now as more young people choose the college track, but I took it as a joke at first and fell in love with the trade," Robin confessed. "There's just something about making a structure all on your own from natural materials. Our houses all take shape from one Mother to another."

It did have a romanticized, poetic sound to it when Robin put it like that. "Demetrius said you are the one who built your family's house up on the mountain."

A bit of Robin's bangs fell into her face, but she did not seem to mind. "You bet I did. It's my finest work, if I do say so myself." Her dark eyes glanced at Violet, "That's not to say I'm going to slack on your house, though."

"Of course not," Violet agreed. "I never thought you meant it that way, don't worry." The young woman paused, unsure of how to broach the topic about which she truly wanted to speak to Robin. Violet cleared her throat, "Robin, about yesterday..." she started.

The older woman stopped her work for a moment and turned her body toward Violet. With a kind smile on her face, she gestured for Violet to come closer. "Don't worry, I did not tell my son what you said." Robin pulled her into a gentle hug, "As much as I love Sebastian and want him to be happy, I'm not going to throw a young lady under the bus. Your secret is safe with me unless you instruct me otherwise, got it?" She sighed and patted Violet's head in a motherly fashion. "We all have our reasons for not acting on our feelings right away. Sometimes we need to stop and think about what our actions do to other people."

Violet felt a few tears fall from her eyes from the unexpected hug. It felt like she had imagined a protective mother's embrace might feel and she was overwhelmed by Robin's sincerity. "Th-thank you," she wailed pitifully. The farmer was so relieved that Robin was in her corner on this. "I know it's silly to worry, but I don't want to hurt him or - or me..."

Robin unwrapped her arms from around Violet and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to make you cry," the red-head said apologetically as she wiped the tears from Violet's face. "And as a mother who doesn't want her son's heart broken, I appreciate that you care to think about these sort of things ahead of time. I did a lot of things I regret with Jessie that dissolved the marriage. Not that he was completely innocent, but I can't paint him as the villain in our story, either. I try to make it a point to respect that we all have our own reasons for doing what we do."

"Jessie?" Violet parroted.

The carpenter bit her lip, then shook her head. "Sebastian's father," she revealed in a quiet voice. "I really should not say much else about it to you, Violet. It would not be fair to Sebastian. I... haven't explained everything to him yet."

The mother's words immediately sobered Violet. "Oh..." she replied, understanding that likely meant that Sebastian did not know how his parents' marriage ended in divorce, which corresponded with the things that Maru mentioned earlier that season. "Yeah, Sebastian should know about his dad before you go telling others," she agreed.

"You're a good girl, Violet." Robin said, patting the young woman's head again. Normally, Violet hated it when people touched her head because it always seemed like they were making fun of her lack of height, but Robin's touch felt different. The farmer supposed this time she would allow it. It felt nice, that kind of softness only a parent could provide.

"I don't think you'd say that if you knew all about me," the young woman said regretfully, scuffing the toe of her boot in the dirt and avoiding Robin's eyes.

Robin chuckled, "It doesn't matter what you did before, Violet. What matters is who you are now and your actions going forward." The carpenter picked up her hammer and used its back end to continue her work of removing nails from the side of Violet's farmhouse. "As long as you learn from your mistakes, you're a good kid in my book."

Violet cleared her throat again, trying to keep the lump she felt forming at bay. "Thank you again, Robin," the pastel-haired woman eked out, holding back tears. "I'll... keep that in mind for myself, too."

The carpenter glanced over as the farmer started to walk away. "Hey, I know you're busy, but would you do me a favor, Violet?"

The younger woman stopped in her tracks and took a deep breath to compose herself before responding. "Sure, what is it?"

"Have you met the woman in the traveling cart? I want to see if she has a lucky rabbit's foot, but I can't afford to lose any time to get your house upgrade done on time. I would reimburse you, of course."

The farmer looked at Robin quizzically. "Where can I find her?" she asked curiously. Violet could not recall ever seeing a travelling merchant.

Robin thought for a moment, "If you head south off your property and then head west on the path that leads deeper into the Cindersap Forest, you can find her cart there on Fridays and Sundays."

Violet had never gone that way on a Friday or Sunday, so it made sense that the farmer had never encountered her. "Alright, I'll check for you."

"If you don't come back right away, I'll know she did not have it," Robin called after her, "So don't feel the need to report back to me. I know you have things to do, after all!"

Nodding to acknowledge the statement, Violet left in search of this mysterious merchant in the Cindersap Forest.

* * *

Sebastian pondered for the last several days on how to contact Krobus and after some consideration he finally decided to try a method he remembered using as a child this morning. The man went out to find one of the shadow creature's known favorites: a horseradish. It took a while, but once he obtained the pungent root, the black-clad man set it by the entrance to the mines and a crudely drawn map to find Sebastian's window, and instructed his old friend to come find him tonight at midnight. He drew a little stick figure set of the two of them together, like he always did as a kid and hoped that Krobus would realize who left him the message.

After he set things up, Sebastian quickly returned to his computer to get some work done before it was time to head to The Stardrop Saloon to play pool with the gang. Much to his surprise, the coder had a breakthrough on a project with which he had been struggling and finished debugging the program when he got a message from Sam. ***Hey, fam. Do you mind coming to The Stardrop a bit early tonight? I wanna hang out just the two of us for a bit.***

Sam did not usually ask to meet up so last-minute, so Sebastian figured something must be going on. His dark eyes glanced at the corner of his screen to look at the time. It was getting close to one o'clock. ***Sure. Should I head out now?***

***Yeah. Let me know when you're getting close and I'll meet you in the arcade room***

Sebastian pocketed his phone and a few other smaller items, including the weird glowing ring that Maru confessed she borrowed from Violet without permission, into the pockets of his black-washed jeans. "I'm going to meet Sam early today," he called toward the lab since his mother was no where to be seen.

"I appreciate you keeping us informed of your social plans," Demetrius replied from the next room. Sebastian's step-father was trying his best to provide positive feedback like Robin and Maru suggested.

"Have fun, big bro!" Maru called back. "Tell everyone I say 'hi!'"

Her older brother rolled his eyes, "You could come tell them yourself one of these nights," he told her. "You might have fun hanging out with everyone."

The bespectacled sibling poked her head into the hallway, "I don't enjoy drinking, playing pool, or arcade games," she informed him. Maru glanced back at her papers on the counter in the lab, "Besides, I have other plans myself. I promised Alex he would receive his training regimen by today and I intend to meet the deadline."

Part of Sebastian still could not believe that his little sister had an actual interest in Alex's athletic aspirations, but whatever made her happy, he supposed. "Well, enjoy, then."

Maru smirked and push the ruby red rims of her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, "I have a feeling Alex will be disappointed to know he is slower than he anticipated, but I suppose that just means there's more room for improvement."

"Best of luck, Maru," Sebastian said. As the bell chimed to signal Sebastian's departure, Demetrius turned to his daughter.

"I was not aware that you were meeting Alex today," he stated. The man's lower lip stuck out in a slight pout. "Why would you keep that from me, Maru?"

The young scientist shook her head and returned to her notes. "That was not my intention. It simply had not come up in conversation," she assured her father.

There was a moment of silence before Demetrius spoke again. "Is he meeting you here while we are all out tonight?"

"No, I'm going to his house," she replied, crossing out an error she found in her data and correcting it in red pen. "He said granny Evelyn made too much for dinner and thought it would be a good way to efficiently use both of our time."

Demetrius began to sway back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Perhaps I should stop by beforehand and have a chat with the young man."

Maru, who had begun to nibble slightly on her pen cap in agitation, did not like the direction her dad's train of thought seemed to be heading. She glanced at her father, "Why ever would you do that?" she asked him.

"Just to chat." Her father cleared his throat and scratched his head, which alerted Maru that he was trying to dodge the question. It was one of his tells.

"If this is another one of your 'don't ruin my daughter's bright future' conversations, like the one you gave Penny when we just started to become friends, you will do no such thing!" Maru snapped firmly. "Penny was afraid to talk to me for _weeks_ after that! I am allowed to have friends and social interaction is not a waste of time! Even you have mom."

Her father's shoulder slumped and Maru knew she had caught him. "I just want you to be happy, Maru."

"I _am_ happy, dad," she told him, trying her best not to sound harsh. "Can't you just let me live my life how I like it? I know I still live with you and mom, but I'm an adult who can make my own informed decisions."

Demetrius sighed heavily. "I suppose your mother and I have taught you all that we can in that regard," he admitted in resignation. "But that does not mean I have to like that my little Maru is all grown up now."

"I know, dad." The scientist smiled at her father, "But I hope you'll come to terms with it someday," she teased, prodding him with the dull end of her pen.

"Maybe when you get as old as I am," he chuckled, nudging her in return with his elbow. "Until then, you'll have to give me some grace." Maru did not respond, but instead the two enjoyed each other's silent company as they worked for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

Violet heard the woman in the traveling cart before she saw her. A hauntingly beautiful song rang out into the air in a language which the farmer could not understand. The tune itself sounded like a cross between a sea shanty and the mournful cries of loss and the singer was undoubtedly talented. If Robin had not alerted Violet of the woman's whereabouts, the young woman might have mistaken the sounds for the equivalent of a siren's call to the fairy realm. While she doubted the existence of actual fairies, Violet loved the idea of them and their natural magic. They were one of the main reasons that inspired her love of druidic characters in most of the RPG campaigns she played.

The floral-haired woman followed the overgrown path to the western edge of the forest and found a large wine-colored wagon with a sea-foam green roof. The adornments were beautifully carved and soft colorful lights twinkled under the rim of the roof, giving the cart a more festive appearance. As the woman saw Violet approached, she stopped singing and called a greeting in a heavy accent. "Hello, welcome to my shop!"

The farmer could not help but notice that the woman was gorgeous. She was a tall, curvaceous woman in a sapphire blue dress that covered her arms down to her wrists. Gold earrings and matching bangles made a soft twinkling sounds as she gracefully tilted her body toward her customer out the window of her cart. Her curly teal hair stopped just above her shoulders and cascaded off to the right side of her face, framing her cerulean eyes well. She had a warm, golden undertone to her skin that made Violet reminiscent of a sandy beach son a sunny day. "How can I be of help to you?" the woman asked, trying to get Violet's attention.

Violet blushed apologetically, caught off-guard by her own captivation. "I'm Violet, the new farmer in town. I heard you sell interesting items," she told the merchant.

The woman smiled, "That I do." After rummaging around in her cart for a while, she produced a large scroll of her current inventory. It included pictures and prices. After looking it over, Violet did not see anything that looked like Robin's desired rabbit's foot, but she was curious about several items. "What are these seeds?" the farmer asked the merchant.

The teal-haired woman beamed, "Ah, those are rare seeds," she told her customer. "They will take most of the autumn season to grow, but the fruit they produce is highly valued for its unparalleled sweetness."

With Mayor Lewis' free upgrade to her house, Violet did not have any immediate savings goals at the moment. "I'll take them both," she said. The merchant cupped her hands to accept payment from Violet and exchanged them with the seed packets. The seeds were larger than the farmer expected, and shaped like a Hersey's kiss.

"Does anything else catch your discerning eye?" the mysterious woman queried Violet. As the customer, she knew that the merchant was supposed to play to Violet's sense of importance, but she liked the compliments all the same.

Violet smiled sheepishly, "I'm afraid I cannot afford much else without making some money first," the farmer admitted. "But thank you for the seeds. May I ask where else you travel to do business?"

"I bring rare goods from Gotoro, it is my business to provide this service." The woman replied, her curls bobbed in a way that reminded Violet of the rolling waves of the open sea. "It is why I demand such a high price when I find something especially worthy."

The young woman was surprised by this answer. Not the wartime pricing, but that this woman was willing to travel between two countries at war with one another, presumably alone. Well, almost alone. There was a hog of unusual size and color loitering at the front of the cart, wearing goggles and a red fez. The farmer wondered if it was real, though that seemed to be the case from the noises and movements the creature made. "It sounds dangerous, miss..." Violet purposefully trailed off to encourage the merchant to introduce herself.

She curly-haired woman shook her head coyly, "Ah, I do not give out my name to those I have only just met. It is a matter of business practice in these times." Her light blue eyes scanned Violet, "But perhaps if we continue these profitable encounters in the future, we shall become close." The traveler winked at Violet, "But I will keep your name well-known in my mind, Miss Violet. Your flower-kissed hair will help me remember well."

Violet laughed nervously, both from what she thought was a compliment on her choice of hair dye and a strange feeling in her gut that perhaps her instinct about a fairy abduction was not so far off-base if this woman was so reluctant to reveal her name. "What song were you singing before?" the farmer asked. "It sounded sad."

The gold earrings on the traveling merchant jingled slightly as she tilted her head, "Ah, it is sad at first. A woman's lover betrays her trust," she explained. Her lips stretched into a smiled that spanned her entire face, "But she prays to the goddesses and they curse him to become a fish. The scorned woman then feeds that same fish to a dolphin. The dolphin then becomes a man far more beautiful and steadfast than her former lover."

"So I guess the moral of the story is don't cheat or your girlfriend will get divine blessing to kill you and replace you with an improved model?"

The merchant let out a hearty laugh. "You are a funny girl," the teal-haired woman replied, clutching her hand to her neckline. "The song is meant to instill trust in the goddesses and teach sailors that the sea will punish the wicked." The beautiful woman continued to chuckled, "But I like your interpretation quite well." She extended her hand to shake with Violet, "You may call me Talla."

The farmer nodded, and shook her hand. "Tal-LAH..." she echoed back, making sure to emphasize the second syllable like the merchant woman had done.

"It means 'golden' where I am from," the woman explained proudly. "It is both a blessing for good fortune and a title if you become well-known among the trade."

"Then you must be excellent at what you do," Violet responded, hoping a little bit of flattery would keep her in the woman's good graces. "In that case, I'll be back on Sunday to see what you have for me," she said, bidding farewell to the mysterious woman.

"Farewell, little flower," the merchant said in parting, smoothing the skirt of her dress that concealed the scales beneath. "I hope to do good business again soon." As Violet turned her back, she began to hear Talla humming the haunting tune she had been singing before. While the local did not know the lyrics, now that she knew the underlying meaning, Violet thought she could hear the melody switch from mournful to giddy as the song progressed. The friend of the forest found herself catching on to the melody, and hummed along with the woman's voice as it was slowly swallowed up by the trees behind her.


	31. When One Door Shuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam tells Sebastian about his relationship with Abigail. Violet helps Penny with a conflict with George. Elliott invites Penny and Violet to celebrate his newly published work. Penny is caught off-guard by Sam and Abigail's relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fan named Kaci on FFN made some artwork of Violet and Sebastian together. Check it out! 
> 
> Link: https://imgur.com/a/aAFJCoF

Sam got the text from Sebastian that he was close to town, so the blond took a deep breath and headed out the front door toward The Stardrop Saloon. He threw his skateboard on the ground and hopped on, the wheels making a rhythmic click on the cobblestones as he sped along the path. The anxiety about this conversation had been gnawing at him all week, even when he and Abigail were together. It had to be done, though. Sam only hoped that Sebastian took the news well enough that their friendship would remain intact.

As planned, Sam arrived at the local Friday hangout before Sebastian, so he ordered a cup of coffee for his best friend and got himself a Joja cola from the vending machine. After tucking his skateboard behind the red couch facing the entrance of the arcade, Sam took a seat and took a swig of his sugary drink. His best friend arrived shortly afterward, wearing his usual black hoodie, and sat down on the blue sofa perpendicular to him. "Thanks for meeting me," Sam said, offered Sebastian the mug of coffee.

"Heh, trying to butter me up, I see," Sebastian joked, looping his fingers into the handle of the mug and taking it from Sam. He shifted over to the cushion that was slightly less worn down and took a sip of the bitter drink. It was the perfect drinking temperature, so he drank in nearly half the mug before asking, "So what's up, Sam?"

The blond tapped the Joja cola can in his hand with nervous fingers. "I... uh... have some news." His eyes darted to meet Sebastian's puzzled gaze. "Personal news," Sam clarified. "I think you oughtta hear it from me."

Sebastian's teasing smirk immediately fell and he leaned forward in his seat, holding his warm coffee mug between his knees. "Is everything okay?" He paused, then hesitantly added, "Did something happen to your dad?"

Sam shook his head, "Nah, nothing like that," he assured Sebastian, who then visibly relaxed. The taller man chugged the last of his drink for courage, and slammed the empty can on the couch beside him. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst. "Abigail and I are dating now!" he announced quickly, as if his words were being forced out of a pressure cooker. Sam's eyes remained fix on the floor, as he was too afraid to see the expression on Sebastian's face. "I... didn't want you to have to hear it from anyone else or get caught off-guard tonight." He paused before finished, "You're my best friend, Sebby..."

"Well, that sucks."

The blond looked up to find the blue couch beside him empty and Sebastian already leaving the arcade. Sam chased after him. "Dude, I know this probably came outta nowhere, but I wanna talk this out and stay best friends!" Sam grabbed Sebastian's shoulder to stop him from leaving and his best friend turned in confusion.

Sebastian's expression did not look angry, like Sam had expected. The programmer appeared confused, if his friend had to guess. The raven-haired man gestured toward his friend with his mug, "I'm just outta coffee, you spaz."

"So... you're not mad about me and Abigail?" Sam asked hopefully.

Sebastian shrugged Sam's hand off his shoulder. "I'm kinda pissed you two took so long, honestly."

The skater squinted at Sebastian suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean? You had a thing for Abigail for ages, fam."

"Apparently you did, too." The shorter of the two rolled his eyes and he quickly asked Gus for a refill on his coffee before stating, "Once the dam broke and Abigail straight-up told me we were never going to happen, I figured she was after someone else." Threading his fingers through the handle of the new mug of coffee, Sebastian said, "And after a few days it dawned on me. 'Sam's the only other guy she hangs out with.'"

"Hey!" Sam puffed out his chest and crossed his arm defensively, "What makes you think I didn't ask her out?"

Sebastian's lips pulled back into a smile, "You're too good a friend to do that to me, Sam. As demonstrated by the fact you did not even tell me you liked Abigail, too." Sebastian prodded Sam in the ribs with his elbow. Sam grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily at his friend's words. The older of the two looked over his shoulder to check his surroundings before adding, "Besides, not to say that Abigail isn't a good friend, but she is way more impulsive and really goes for it once she's made a decision."

The blond eased his stance and followed Sebastian back toward the arcade. "So... you're okay with this?" he questioned, reclaiming his spot on the old red couch.

Sebastian opted to continue standing and loitered near the pool table. He shrugged and tested the temperature of his drink. The coffee enthusiast was disappointed to find the liquid scalded a bit of his tongue. "I wouldn't call it 'okay,'" Sebastian admitted, swirling the steaming liquid in his mug in a desperate attempt to cool its contents, "but if it had to be anyone else, I'm glad it's you, Sam." His dark tapered bangs blocked a clear view of the expression on Sebastian's face as he leaned against the rim of the table, but Sam thought he saw the slight upward curve on his best friend's lips. "Besides, Abigail's not the only girl in town. I want to see how things go." He blew into the mug, and took a sip of his coffee. Sam could have sworn it was on purpose so he did not have to talk anymore.

The blond sprung up from his seat and planted himself in front of Sebastian so the hoodie-clad man could not escape scrutiny this time. "So, Violet, huh?" Sam said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

While Sebastian would have loved to pretend he was still oblivious to how poorly he hid his feelings, that game was over now. Not to mention the basement-dweller had not spent any considerable time with the female villagers around his age other than the new farmer. Playing it off as a local who had already lived in Pelican Town, or someone who lived out of town would have been a ridiculous stretch of the imagination for anyone in town. Giving up on watching his coffee cool, Sebastian set the mug down on the pool table. He had burnt his tongue enough trying to stall. "Yeah, well, she's hung up on some ex-boyfriend from what I hear," he grumbled quietly. Sebastian massaged the patch under the sleeve of his hoodie absently, but it did not go unnoticed by Sam. "But for now I just want to hang out more and get to know her better anyway," he admitted with a shrug.

Sam frowned, and leaned against the pool table next to Sebastian. "Huh. I assumed Violet hadn't ever dated, but I those are the kinda things you find out when you get to know someone better."

"Hey, you already have a girlfriend, leave some of the 'getting to know someone better' for the rest of us," Sebastian teased, setting the bait for a trap as he spied a streak of amethyst hair from the corner of his eye.

"I can't help but give the ladies what they want," Sam replied with a shrug.

A chill ran down the blond's spine as a voice came from the archway into the arcade. "Who are all these other ladies that want you, Sam?"

"H-hey, babe," Sam laughed nervously as the color drained from his face, knowing fully well that it was Abigail behind him. "Very _hypothetical_ ladies," he explained as he turned and gave his girlfriend a peck on the cheek.

She pulled the collar of his faded denim jacket so their faces were level with one another. "Good. 'Cause if you were to ever cheat on me, I'd hunt you down and kill you, Sam," she informed him an eerily saccharine smile.

Sebastian burst out laughing and tapped his fist against the pool table, "Shit! I dodged a bullet with you, Abigail," he said in amusement at the casual threat of murder from his friend.

Abigail's eyes took on an icy quality as she shot him a death glare, "Oh, don't flatter yourself, Sebastian. You were never a fucking target."

"Says the girl who can't even beat the first level of Journey of the Prairie King," Sebastian prodded. "Your aim sucks."

The amethyst-haired woman flipped Sebastian off and took her usual seat on the bright blue sofa. "This is why you're still single." She kicked up her heel and crossed her legs as she sat down on the blue couch, as if she were claiming a throne and daring Sebastian to challenge her.

"Ooooooh, damn!" Sam hooted, not even bothering to suppress his body's amused convulsions as bent over at the waist. Abigail rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, and leaned against the back of her seat to get comfortable.

While Abigail's comeback did knock him down a few pegs, Sebastian had to admit he liked the new angle his personal relationships had shifted. Things were starting to improve between him and Maru, even if his relationship with Demetrius appeared to be at a stand-still, they were not getting worse. Hell, even gave his friend group got enough of a budge in the right direction that he found he was genuinely enjoying himself. Could you really call it a friend group if you couldn't fling insults at each other on the regular? It was like he and his friends were so concerned about stepping on eggshells around each other that no one realized the eggs had already hatched. Now that the tension was gone, they were free to be themselves again.

So even if this was not the way Sebastian imagined how his life would be when the new year started, Sebastian was grateful that Violet's presence in Pelican Town catalyzed the necessary change in his life. Still, he hoped Violet might get over this former flame of hers so he could finally try asking a girl he liked out one day. The programmer decided he was not going to miss his shot this time around, if given the chance.

* * *

Violet finished conducting her usual business at Pierre's General Store and upon exit, she heard a strange grunting sound off to her left. It was old Mr. Mullner, who from the looks of things, could not reach his mail into the back of the mailbox from his seated position in the wheelchair. He sighed audibly, slumping back into his chair, and grumbled to himself about how the person delivering the mail should not shove it in so far.

The farmer had only formally met him briefly when Alex insisted she meet his grandparents, but she had made sure to speak to the Mullners at the Egg Festival. While George seemed to be the stereotypical grumpy old man, Violet thought it was only polite to offer assistance. However, Penny beat her to it, "Here, let me help you, Mr. Mullner!" the red-head said to her neighbor, gently rolling the balding man's wheel chair out of the way. Penny reached her yellow-sleeved arm into the mailbox to retrieve the envelope he desired, then turned around and handed him the letter. "There you go!" she said cheerfully, flashing a friendly grin to the old man.

George, who seemed flustered that the young woman and literally moved his person without permission, voiced his annoyance. "Hmmph. I could've done it myself!" he growled, snatching the envelope from the woman. "And I can certainly move around on my own!" George's wrinkled face frowned deeply, "How feeble do you think I am?" he questioned, snapping like an old turtle at Penny. The ginger clammed up immediately and it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Violet decided to step in and approached the pair to make sure the situation did not escalate. Mr. Mullner scowled when he saw the farmer coming toward them and Penny twisted to face her. "Violet? You were watching us?" she asked, embarrassed that someone else might have witnessed the scolding her neighbor gave her for trying to help.

The newcomer nodded, "Yeah, I was. You did a kind thing there, Penny," Violet said to reassure the young woman. George's face twisted with conflicting emotions at Violet's words.

"Thank you," Penny replied quietly. "I just wish George wasn't so upset..." Her emerald eyes glanced over to the scowling Mr. Mullner who avoided her gaze.

"I think what upset Mr. Mullner was that you moved him out of the way without giving him the opportunity to do it himself." Violet's assessment seemed to catch George's attention, which indicated she might be somewhere close to the truth.

Upon reflection, the woman in the canary-yellow shirt realized that she had been rude by not asking before pushing George's wheelchair. "I was only trying to help," Penny told her neighbor in a penitent tone.

The old man's face fell and George tugged at the sleeve of his green jacket. After a moment's pause, he let out a raspy sigh. "No, no... I'm sorry, miss," he responded apologetically, averting his gaze self-consciously. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry." Finally, he bestowed a compliment on his young neighbor, "It was actually very kind of you to help me out."

Penny nodded, sniffling slightly, but quickly regained her composure. "That's okay, Mr. Muller," she told him as she inhaled a deep, calming breath. "I understand."

Before much else could be said, George wheeled himself into the house and quickly shut the door behind him. The teacher watched him go and wove her fingers together in front of her body. Her lips curved in a pensive frown. "It must be difficult to grow old..." she thought aloud.

A nervous laugh escaped Violet. She hated thinking about human mortality, especially her own. "It's just a different part of life," she replied, trying to play it cool. But as usual, the farmer betrayed her actual thoughts with a secondary comment. "Though luckily it takes a while to get there."

The straight-laced young woman nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, we shouldn't ignore the reality of aging," she agreed. After a moment of contemplation, she continued, "I guess the sooner we come to terms with our mortality, the more time we can spend really living in the here-and-now." Penny stared back at the door of the Mullner household and the two stood in silence for a few moments before the teacher tried to awkwardly excuse herself. "Well, it was interesting talking to you, Violet. I should go."

"You sure you don't want to hang out with the Friday night crowd at The Stardrop Saloon?" the farmer asked. Penny was shy, but that did not mean she did not want to be invited out places. Violet knew what that was like.

Penny sighed, "I... don't care to see my mother drink herself into another stupor," she told Violet, fixating on the grass beneath her feet. The red-headed woman sounded so defeated, it broke Violet's heart a little.

"I see..." the farmer replied, now understanding a bit more about Penny's home life. "I hope to see you around, then."

The two women were about to part ways when Elliott hailed Violet from the path toward the saloon. "Hello, Violet! Miss Penelope! What a pleasant surprise!"

Penny stopped dead in her tracks and her emerald eyes grew wide. The ginger slightly hid behind Violet as Elliott sauntered over to the pair.

"I was just stopping into The Stardrop Saloon to relax after an eight hour writing session," he informed his neighbors. "I coincidentally just received word that a publisher wants to add my latest short story to their anthology! Would you ladies care to join me for a celebratory drink?"

Violet's cobalt eyes stole a glance back at Penny, who prodded at the ground with the toe of her flats. "I... don't care for alcohol," the teacher replied in a barely audible whisper.

Whether or not he heard Penny, Elliott seemed to catch her meaning. "Ah, my apologies for the rude assumption. I would gladly treat you to your favorite beverage that has not been fermented or perhaps a meal, then?"

Penny's cheeks flushed slightly and Violet could not tell it was because she was embarrassed that Elliott was so willing to accommodate when all she was trying to do was decline or something else. "I..."

No one had ever had never offered to treat her to anything, so Penny was not sure whether or not it was rude to continue to decline the offer when Elliott was just trying to share his good fortune. And yet, stepping foot into The Stardrop Saloon was something Penny feared. Penny worried what her mother would think - but more importantly, what everyone else would think. If the daughter of the town drunk started socializing at the local bar, maybe people would see her differently. The villagers might say that she was on the way to following in her mother's footsteps. Penny wanted so desperately to escape her mother's drunken shadow.

Elliott, noticing that Penny seemed uncomfortable, spoke up again, "I understand we hardly know each other, miss Penelope. Please know that I will not be offended should you decide to decline my invitation."

Her emerald eyes glanced up at Elliott's striking figure. He reminded her of a respectable male lead in an Austen novel, with his mannerisms and attire. The teacher realized to herself that if she could not speak to someone as polite and gentle as the beach-dwelling poet, she was doomed to live in that dirty old trailer with her mother forever. Penny dreamed of getting married and having children of her own someday, so needed to build her confidence to finally make a turn things around. 

Besides, this was not even a romantic proposal for an intimate meal alone. This was a special occasion in a public space with a small group of villagers. Not to mention Sam always went to the saloon on Friday evenings. Sam was so easy to talk to so maybe if she got too nervous she could just join him wherever he was standing. She could socialize for an hour, right? These were the same neighbors with whom she socialized on community festival days. Surely, Penny could be brave for an hour... Clutching the hem of her bright yellow shirt, the ginger finally said, "I suppose a glass of lemonade would not hurt anything."

Violet caught herself before her jaw hit the floor. Although she and Penny had hardly spoken, her body language screamed social anxiety. The farmer had to wonder what made the shy woman change her mind so quickly. Was this Penny's triumphant carpe diem moment? 

Elliott squeezed between the two women and extended the crook of his elbows to escort them both inside The Stardrop Saloon. Violet already knew the drill and looped arms with the silky haired man. Penny, once she realized what was going on, followed suit, though she did not hold her body as close to Elliott as did her companion.

The trio entered The Stardrop Saloon as Elliott announced their presence with a friendly "Hello!" Violet saw Leah had already claimed their usual table. The artist's face lit up in surprise when she saw Penny with them, but waved them all over in her usual manner as she pulled up an extra chair.

Elliott, on the other hand, approached the bar and theatrically ordered their refreshments. "Bartender! Fetch me your finest ale. And bring some lemonade for the ladies!" Gus bristled slightly from being reduced to "bartender" by the poet, but the portly man knew that Elliott was still relatively new to Pelican Town and the poet was a little eccentric. So, Gus decided not to hold it against his customer and went to fill Elliott's request.

"Hey, don't hold out on me, Elliott," Leah called out to her best friend, feigning disgruntlement. 

The author let out a hearty laugh and amended his previous request. "Make that two lemonades for the ladies and a glass of wine for Leah!"

"What? Am I not a lady to you anymore?" Leah asked as Elliott came to join the trio of women. 

"I assure you I only jest," Elliott replied sweetly as he took the chair opposite Penny. It was clear that the author was in a good mood today, which was a relief for Violet. Elliott had been so down since he received the wedding invitation, it was great to see her friend smiling again. The deal with the publisher must have been the boost he needed to get out of his slump.

Emily brought the drinks on a tray and set them in front of the quartet. "There you go, sir," the blue-haired bartender said with a friendly wink. As each person grabbed their drink off the table, Elliott held up a hand to indicate he wanted to speak first. "Wait," he said, raising his pint toward the ceiling, "I propose a toast! To..." His honey-colored eyes scanned the women around the table, seeking inspiration.

"To our friendship!" Violet proposed, hoisting her cold drink into the air. The farmer hoped the toast would further establish her relationships with Elliott and Leah and secondly let Penny know she was welcome to hang out with the trio again in the future. 

"That's a great idea!" Elliott nodded with satisfaction. "Here's to us!" he shouted, with Leah and Violet chiming in agreement. Penny receded into her chair slightly, but still sipped her lemonade on cue.

"What is the story about?" Penny ventured to ask the author in a soft voice. "The one you're writing, I mean..."

Elliott beamed at the chance to talk about his work with someone new. "It is a romance novel about a flight attendant who falls in love with a traveling architect."

The farmer's eyebrows rose. "So they fall in love in like, four hours?" Violet inquired doubtfully. "That's a Disney-fast timeline, if you ask me."

The author shook his head, "Of course not!" he said, denying the criticism. "Her love interest is a frequent flyer on the airline," Elliott explained.

"What's the setting?" Leah asked curiously.

Elliott's long hair slid off his shoulder as he turned to the red-headed artist. "The Golden Age of Flight for the casual traveler," he pronounced dramatically, "Which means either the late fifties or early sixties. I have not quite pinned down the precise year, but ." This answer surprised Leah. From what she knew of her friend, he liked to stick to the late 1800s to early 1900s. Leah was often convinced the man was born in the wrong century. So this novel would be something new for Elliott altogether.

"No offense Elliott, but I have a hard time imagining any romance on a plane," Violet said, adding her two cents. "Everything is so cramped and there's no privacy!" she complained. "Unless... the main couple is into that sort of thing?"

"Certainly not!" the author protested, with an offended gasp. "The planes of yesteryear were much more lavish in their style than their modern counterparts." The author pondered for a moment. "Though I suppose that is not particularly obvious to those who are more accustomed to contemporary flights. It has been a rather long time since I have boarded a plane. Perhaps I ought to reconsider the setting..."

"I'm sure the setting is less important than how you portray their love for one another," Penny added quietly, finishing the last of her lemonade, which she had been nursing the whole conversation to avoid speaking. The ginger thought it was sweet that a man was writing love stories, though she was afraid to say so.

The man smiled at her, "Yes, I agree most fervently! True love conquers all obstacles, even writer's block!" he chuckled to himself. While his expression seemed genuine, Penny wondered if Elliott really was a romantic at heart or if he only wrote those kinds of stories to appeal to readers like herself.

The mousy woman set her empty glass down on the tabletop and her emerald eyes glanced at the clock as she tuned out of the conversation. Only ten minutes had passed! She promised herself that she needed to stay an hour. The teacher spied her mother sitting at the far end of the bar, though Pam had not seemed to notice that her daughter was there. That was for the best, Penny thought with relief. The last thing she wanted was her mother to cause a scene.

Elliott covered his mouth as a hiccup escaped his lips and his face became slightly flushed from the ale. "Strong stuff," he mused with a hearty laugh. The celebrator then stood up decisively. "I feel like dancing!" he announced emphatically. He extended an upturned hand toward his best friend. "Leah, would care to join me?"

"Uh... sure," the artist agreed as Elliott began pulling her toward the center of the bar to dance beside Demetrius and Robin.

The pair remaining at the table watched the best friends go. "It's good to see Elliott happy again," the farmer mused aloud, hoping to ease into a conversation with Penny.

Her companion shifted in her seat. "Was Elliott unhappy?" she asked, if only to be polite. Penny remembered that Elliott had to be escorted home by both Leah and Violet the evening of the Egg Festival. Frankly, the schoolteacher had been appalled by Elliott's overindulgence. It reminded Penny of her mother's irresponsible behavior.

Violet nodded. "Yeah, the woman Elliott loves is marrying his brother this winter," the farmer shared, leaning her elbow on the table to rest her head on her hand. "He got the letter right before the Egg Festival and he's been really torn up about it ever since. Well, until today..." Violet's lips curved upward in a slight smile as she watched her friend dance and laughed at Leah's attempts to keep up with Elliott's jovial, tipsy footwork. "Today I can tell he's making a real effort to move on." Penny noticed that Violet's deep blue eyes looked sad as she spoke and wondered what caused it. While Penny was not as loquacious as she wished, the young woman decided to make an attempt. Violet had helped her earlier with Mr. Mullner, so Penny figured she could try to return the favor with some moral support.

"Is that something you have in common with Elliott?" Penny inquired the pastel-haired woman beside her.

The new farmer blinked and the melancholy air around Violet dissipated, like fog evaporating in the sunlight. The newcomer exhaled a sharp breath of air through her nostrils and she smirked in amusement. "I guess you could say that," Violet agreed. "But the wound's a bit older in my case. And while I would have definitely said I was in love to anyone who asked me at the time, I can't say for certain that was the case now." Violet tugged at the strands of hair near her ear and sighed, "It was more like... I wanted to feel needed by someone..." the farmer confessed quietly.

Penny pursed her lips, unsure of how to respond to such a candid statement. The pale red-head twiddled her thumbs in her lap and shifted uncomfortably in her seat until Violet finally asked, "Have you ever been in love, Penny?"

The shy schoolteacher froze at such a personal question. "I-I..." Although Violet's faze was still fixed on her friends dancing across the saloon, Penny was terrified to tell the truth, especially to someone she hardly knew. Honestly, she was scared to admit it to herself as well. There was _one_ person Penny hoped would love her back someday. She just never had the courage, not even that evening they spent up in the high branches of their favorite tree, to tell him how she felt. As if her thoughts were a stage cue, Penny heard Sam's laughter across the room. When she saw Sam's lithe form across the room, however, she felt an awful lump in the pit of her stomach. Sam stood by the pool table, his arm casually draped around Abigail's shoulders. What was he doing? Was he just being friendly? Penny thought back to her latest conversation with Sam, trying to remember if he had mentioned the grocer's daughter. But all of Penny's questions were answered wordlessly as Abigail turned her head upward and gently pressed her lips to Sam's.

 _No..._ Before she could think, Penny felt the white-hot tears forming in her emerald eyes. She stood up to leave, bumping into Elliott's chest as he returned to the table with Leah. "Ah, my sincerest apologies. Were you eager to dance as well?" the poet said with a charming smile. However, the curve of his lips inverted as soon as he saw the tears running down Penny's cheek. He tilted his head to better see her face and his hair fell to one side as he leaned in toward her. "Whatever is the matter, miss Penelope?"

The ginger shook her head and downcast her eyes to hide her pained expression, her neat hair bobbing to and fro as she did so. "I-I'm sorry, I have to go..." the teacher apologized as she pushed past Elliott and fled out the door as fast as her legs could carry her.

The trio stood watching Penny go in utter confusion. As the door slowly clicked closed again, Leah looked troubled. "What happened?" she asked the person who had been sitting at the table with Penny.

Violet grimaced, embarrassed that she might have been the cause for Penny's distress. "I was watching you two, honestly." It was hard not to watch how oddly graceful Elliott was despite his playful mood. The farmer shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "I didn't want to just sit here in silence, but maybe I made things worse with personal questions..." Violet reflected regretfully.

The two women turned their heads toward Elliott to ask his opinion on the matter, only to discover he was now missing from the bar as the heavy wooden door of the saloon swung shut.


	32. Another Door Opens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maru goes to the Mullners for dinner. Elliott goes to apologize to Penny. Alliances are tested when Sebastian will not pair with Sam for their weekly pool game. Penny and Elliott find they have more in common than they realize.

Maru met Alex outside of the Mullner residence at 5:00 o'clock, just as instructed. The spiky-haired man waved Maru over and introduced her to Dusty before they went inside. To show off for their guest, Alex had Dusty perform a few tricks and was rewarded with treats. "Now shake!" the athlete ordered and Dusty offered a tawny paw to Maru, who accepted it with a delighted smile and a pat on the good dog's head.

"Good boy!" she told Dusty, who wagged his tail at the praise and affection. The woman never had a pet before, but Alex and Dusty appeared to be the prime example of a loyal old dog and his master. Even as an outsider, Maru could see the appeal of companionship between humans and canines when she studied Alex's face. He seemed to let loose a little around his faithful old dog. "You have him well-trained," Maru noted aloud, praising the athlete for his work.

Alex grinned, "Dusty's smart," he informed the scientist. "I didn't do anything. I just gave him some scraps when he earned them."

"You provided positive reinforcement to teach Dusty a particular behavior," Maru insisted firmly. "That isn't nothing. It requires a lot of time and dedication." She glanced at the young man to gauge his reaction, but his face was a blank canvas. The researcher decided to conclude her statement, "Don't sell yourself short, Alex."

The letter-jacket wearer shrugged, "Whatever you say," he replied noncommittally. He smirked at her teasingly, "You're the brains of this operation, and I’m the brawn."

Maru beamed back at the athlete and fished the papers full of data for Alex out of her backpack. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you," she told the athlete. "I have your results here and I hate to say it, but you have a lot of work to do..."

The spiky-haired brunet frowned visibly, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Before Maru could brief Alex on his performance evaluation, Evelyn poked her head outside to call them in for dinner. "Come along, you two," she called sweetly. "It's time to eat. George is getting grumpy!"

"Gramps is always grumpy!" Alex hollered back, but he obeyed his grandmother and gestured for Maru to follow him inside. It was sweet how Alex and his grandparents got along, the scientist thought. She was curious to know more about them.

Evelyn offered Maru the chair next to her and claimed the one closest to the stove for herself so she could better serve the meal. Alex took the seat across from their guest and George rolled into his usual spot at the corner closest to the living room. The spread was impressive. Granny Evelyn set a bowl of spring vegetables in lemon broth to start, chicken with barley and leeks as the main course, and a strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. "I hope you like leeks," Evelyn said to Maru as she doled out the entree, "It's one of George's favorites..."

George grumbled slightly, but Maru noticed that the curve of his wrinkled mouth trended upward. "I don't mind them," she assured her kindly host. "Thank you for having me over for dinner."

Evelyn face stretched into a smile, her skin taught over her cheekbones. "Oh, we are happy to have any friend of Alex's over to share a meal. He hardly does anything for fun..."

"Granny!" Alex protested, taking a bit of his chicken. "I have lots of training to do if I want to go pro! I don't have time for fun and games."

Maru nodded to acknowledge Evelyn's comment, but looked up at Alex. "I think the plan I have for you will allow ample opportunity for both. You need to rest your body in order for torn muscles to rebuild and grow stronger, after all."

"I know about rest days," the athlete replied through a mouthful of barley and leeks.

Finishing her soup, Maru agreed. "Yes, from your current schedule, you're doing well on building muscle mass, but you're lacking in your speed and agility. So unless you're aiming to become a defensive player..."

Alex seemed offended by the idea. "I was the star quarterback of the gridball team in high school. No way am I switching to defense." He scowled slightly as he shoveled another forkful of chicken into his mouth.

"If you want to avoid serious injury, you'll need to work on being a better-rounded player, then. The defensive line does not always hold and your chance of injury is much higher if you cannot run away, throw the ball fast enough, or evade the opposing team's tackles." Maru pause gravely, "I expect you want to end your career when you decide you had enough, not when you are forced to do so by circumstances."

As he chewed, the young man's dark eyes looked thoughtful for a moment before he swallowed. "Fine..." he relented, stealing a glance at his grandfather. The old man always complained he had been too slow to avoid the blast that stole the use of his legs. While gridball did not use dynamite, Alex knew the potential consequences of a crippling injury from George's mistakes. "We'll talk about the game plan after dinner."

Maru smiled in agreement, "That's why I'm here." she responded. Looking down at her empty bowl, the bespectacled woman then added, "And for the great food." The scientist decided to change the subject to be more inclusive to the elderly couple at the table, which she learned was a useful skill when conversing with a group over the past few years. "Granny, could I get the recipe for this soup? It's delicious!"

* * *

Elliott lingered outside the door to Penny's trailer for several minutes, contemplating how to apologize to her. The problem was he had no idea what he had done to upset her, but Elliott had been raised to believe that whenever a man made a woman cry, it was his responsibility to address the issue head-on. "I hope my invitation was not too presumptuous for an acquaintance such as myself..." he began, rehearsing his apology for the umpteenth time as he paced back and forth on the packed earth in front of the door. "It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable."

He cleared his throat and straightened posture before rapping at the door three times, as was his usual custom. The author waited patiently as he heard shuffling from the dwelling interior. Finally, after a strange crashing sound Penny emerged from the other side of the door. The young woman's emerald eyes were a bit blood-shot from her tears, but she made a noticeable effort to splash water on her face and dab her eyes so she did not look so unkempt. "Oh, Elliott..." the red-head greeted him, clearly surprised to see the tall poet at her door. “I'm sorry for leaving early,” she apologized. "I hope I did not ruin the celebratory atmosphere for you." Penny flushed as she realized that she had begun unfastening the buttons of her shirt as she prepared to change into her pajamas before she answered the door. The woman had assumed her mother had come home early and simply locked herself out of the trailer, so she had not properly redressed herself for guests. The timid teacher closed the front of her cotton house robe for the sake of modesty.

Elliott seemed not to have even noticed any indecency and the glossy-haired man shook his head. "No, no. Please do not apologize for excusing yourself," he insisted sincerely. "I worry that I have upset or offended you in some manner and wish to extend my apologies for my behavior. It was not my intention to make you uncomf-"

The woman did not wait for him to finish. "I... admit that some of your recent alcohol consumption has... _concerned_ me," Penny interrupted Elliott briefly. "But it wasn't you that made me want to leave the saloon tonight."

The author was taken aback by the ginger's first comment, but he was not standing before Penny to address her opinion of him so much as he wanted to figure out what had made her cry and try to ameliorate the situation. "May I be so bold as to ask what made you desire to flee?" he inquired, with a gentle tilt of his head. "Perhaps I can be of service..."

A laugh escaped Penny's lips, but it was a piteous signal of emotional pain. She tried to keep her tears at bay in the presence of another person and but now the dam had broken once again. "Not unless you can make someone fall in love," Penny replied with a shudder as she attempted to calm herself, "without hurting everyone else involved."

Elliott's expression softened as he began to better understand the situation. "Ah, so you have also been cruelly struck by Cupid's arrow," he replied in a soothing sigh. "And it has led to a most unfortunate heartbreak." The poet's hands reached into the inner pocket of his overcoat and extracted an embroidered handkerchief, which he offered to Penny.

Nodding gratefully, Penny accepted the white cloth and dabbed her nose and eyes as she inhaled deeply and slowly. "Vi-Violet said you had b-b-been unhappy lately because of a woman," she said shakily. Even in her distraught state, she did not want to get Violet into trouble if the farmer was not supposed to mention anything.

The author smiled sadly, "Yes. I am afraid the heart I gifted to my beloved was not treated kindly before it was returned," he admitted vaguely, adjusting the knot on his tie. "But time heals all wounds and I must wait for the sharp pain of loss to dull into a tolerable ache." Elliott noticed that the shade of green he wore around his neck perfectly matched the hue of Miss Penelope's emerald eyes.

Penny realized they had been standing in the doorway for some time now and she had not offered to come in and sit down. Her eyes glanced nervously behind her, noticing the messy state of the trailer, but perhaps it was better to be embarrassed than to be a rude host. "Would you like to come inside?" she asked the poet.

His eyebrows rose in surprise and Elliott's amber eyes darted toward the door behind Penny. "I fear my antiquated upbringing will not allow me to enter the home of a young woman without a proper chaperone," he informed Penny with a nervous chuckle. "But if you would like to continue our conversation, I would be delighted to escort you for an evening stroll along the shoreline."

Penny blushed, "I-I wasn't suggesting we do anything indecent," she assured the tall man before her. "Please don't think I am the sort who would-"

"Of course not, miss Penelope," Elliott confirmed with a friendly smile. "It is simply the way my mother raised me," he informed the young woman. Elliott placed a hand on his heart, "Please believe me when I say I made no such assumption regarding your intentions."

The ginger considered her options for a moment. Maru was not around to talk about all of this right now, she was with the Mullners for the evening. If she was going to talk with anyone what she was going through, why not the person whose heart had also been broken recently? At least that would give easy common ground to discuss. Perhaps it would make her feel better than crying into her pillow all evening. "I suppose sandals are best for a walk on the beach," she thought aloud. "Let me go get them and I'll join you shortly."

"Of course. I shall await your return," Elliott agreement as he pulled a small book from his breast pocket and began to read.

* * *

Leah and Violet waited a while before giving up on Elliott coming back anytime soon, or at all. "I can't believe he ditched us like that," Leah complained, though in actuality she knew that a damsel in distress was one of Elliott's many old-fashioned weaknesses. He would probably sit with Penny until she had shared everything that upset her in the last ten years of her life. Leah loved Elliott, but the artist did not think she would ever understand that kind of patience.

Violet realized it was about time to go play pool with the gang, but she did not want to leave Leah alone. "Do you want to come sit with us in the game room?" the farmer offered.

The long-haired ginger thought it over for a moment. Leah did not want to go home so early and she did not want to sit by herself and drink for the rest of the evening. "Sure. Why not? I've got nothing else to do," she replied, emptying her glass of wine and getting a refill from Gus before the duo entered the side room.

"Hey! Special guest star: Leah!" Sam announced as the two women entered the arcade. "What brings you to the east side of the bar this evening?" he joked, as if there were a rivalry between the game-players and the bar-goers.

"Reckless abandonment," Leah answered, somewhat sarcastically. "Elliott ditched me for Penny."

Sam's eyes flickered in a way that got the artist's attention. "What do you mean?" the denim-clad man asked for clarification.

Leah shrugged, her long braid catching on her suspender strap as she did so. "Penny started crying and ran out the door and Elliott follower her," she recapped. "Not much to tell since we don't know what caused it."

"You mean Penny came into the bar?" Sebastian asked in surprise. He leaned on the pool table, holding his maple cue in the crook of his arm. "Maru told me Penny vowed she never step foot in this place if she could help it. She practically thinks this place is evil."

"It's not that dramatic," Sam informed the group. He went on to defend his friend, "Penny just doesn't like seeing her mom get shit-faced. I get it."

Abigail shrugged, "So maybe watching her mom got to her after a while?" the amethyst-haired woman offered in explanation.

Violet was unconvinced, but saw no real reason to continue speculating. The farmer did notice for the first time, however, how close Sam and Abigail were standing next to one another. The way their bodies were turned, the casual drape of Sam's arm around Abigail's shoulder... Her mouth dropped open in surprise, "You two got together, didn't you?!" she demanded to know.

The vest-wearing woman grinned, "Yeah, I had to snatch him up before all the other ladies in town tried to stake a claim," she explained, reaching around Sam's body to pull him closer in a teasingly possessive manner, "I hear he's a hot commodity."

Sam laughed nervously and Violet had a feeling there was an inside joke she was missing, but decided it was not worth pursuing at the moment. "So..." Violet began, "does this change the match-ups or are we still guys vs. girls?"

"Clearly it's still a battle of the sexes," Sam replied, but his former partner disagreed.

"You're dead to me," Sebastian told the blond with a straight face.

Sam's look of betrayal was priceless. "Fam, you said you weren't mad about me and Abigail!"

The black-clad man crossed his arms in front of his body, "I told you we're still best friends, but I never said I would still be your pool partner." His ink-black eyes focused on Abigail, "He's your responsibility now," he informed Abigail. "Good luck carrying all that dead weight."

Leah pursed her lips to contain her laughter behind her glass of strawberry wine, "If I knew the show was this good I would have started people-watching you three ages ago."

Abigail rolled her eyes, "This pettiness is a relatively new development," she informed the bystander, grabbing her cue stick from the rack on the wall.

"In any case, if you find a partner, we could just play with three teams." Violet had introduced her to the idea after hearing that Abigail always sat out before she moved into town and was appalled that she had never thought of it herself.

"You just don't want Sam to drag you down to last place," Sebastian accused the amethyst-hair woman.

"I am trying to include people who come into the arcade to hang with us," Abigail shot back. "Like how we included Violet?" Her tone suggested a friendly conspiracy of sorts and the wink Sam shot his girlfriend only deepened the artists' suspicion, so Leah decided to best way to get intel would be by joining so she could more easily chat with Abigail. "I'll be your partner, Abigail, I hear you're good."

Abigail simpered, looking pleased with herself. "Welcome to the winning team," she stated in greeting, handing off a cue stick to her new partner.

Sam wrapped his girlfriend in a hug from behind, trying to sweet talk her, "Babe, I thought I was your partner?"

Abigail squirmed out of his grip, "Not if I wanna win!" she laughed and linked arms with Leah to make her point. "Even no experience is better than your fumbling," she teased.

"That's what she said," Violet groaned reluctantly, as if she could not help herself from making the bad joke. The comment got a laugh out of both Sebastian and Leah.

"Well, bud. Looks like your girlfriend ditched you..." Sebastian prodded at Sam. "So now what?"

Sam considered the situation for a moment. If Sebastian would not be his partner, he could try Violet. He was sure the farmer would play with him, but the blond wanted to keep giving Operation: Crab Cake a shot. So who else could he ask? His warm brown eyes scanned the room and he quickly found his target. "Yo, Shane!" he hollered across the arcade into the main bar. "Quit being a wallflower and come be my partner"!"

Shane, caught completely off-guard by the shout addressed to his person, nearly spilled the last of his pint as he jumped. "Why the hell would I want to play?" he responded grumpily, finishing his drink to ensure it did not get away from him.

"Oh, c'mon, Shane," Emily coaxed her friend, leaning over the counter to nudge his shoulder in the direction of the arcade room. "Sam's sunny aura might help clear up some of those storm clouds around yours," she told him confidently. "It could be fun!"

The junior alcoholic grumbled slightly, rubbing the stubble on his chin, which made a scratchy sound as he did so. "I don't like playing pool. It's a stupid game..."

Sam, overhearing Shane's negativity, chimed in with a bribe, "I'll buy you some pepper poppers, fam. Two plates if we win!"

Shane _did_ like pepper poppers... The man glanced back at Emily, who beamed at him so encouragingly, the husky man could not help but relent. "Fine..." he sighed in resignation, setting down his empty pint on the bar counter, "Let's get this over with."

* * *

The young woman found her sandals under her bed and went outside to find her walking partner reading a small, well-worn book. Penny could not tell what Elliott was reading from the faded cover, but she saw little notes written in the margins. The teacher part of her was appalled that someone would desecrate a book in such a manner, but her curiosity got the better of her. "What are you reading?" she asked, as she stepped down from the trailer onto the dirt path beside him.

"Ah, this old thing," Elliott replied, his tone and the gentle upward curve of his lips suggesting a deep fondness for the old book. "It is my own personal collection of the poetry I enjoy most."

Penny did not want to appear nosy, but part of her wanted to know why someone would have the audacity to write in a book. "What are the little notes for?"

While his companion could not see from her angle, Elliott flushed slightly. "I suppose an educator such as yourself would scold me for it, but it is I who wrote the notes." His amber eyes scanned one page in particular, "I make my own addition when a passage speaks to me on a personal level," he explained, his pupils wagging back and forth as they traced the lines on the page. "I share my connection to the poem or how the specific line moved me or sometimes even a response. So, in a manner of speaking, this book now documents vignettes of my life." He glanced down at Penny, who now looked more curious by the idea than offended.

"That's... actually quite beautiful," the woman replied thoughtfully. "I never thought of interacting with a poem that way."

Elliott's body language relaxed, realizing now that Penny was not cross with him for ruining a book. "It is something my mother and I used to do that formed the habit into adulthood." Elliott told the red-head as he offered his arm to walk toward the beach. As Penny linked arms with him, Elliott continued. "We would write little notes in our favorite books and exchange them when I went away to school. It was a way to feel close without being physically present, I suppose..." The silky-haired man held the book out for Penny to see the tiny words in the margins. "This piece in particular was my favorite when Cassandra and I became engaged..." he confessed. Elliott's face wore a sad smile, "It is strange to look back upon that time, with the knowledge that she left me when I became disinherited. But I did love her so. And part of me still does yearn for her, even after everything that has happened to cast a dark stain upon our happy memories." As they reached the stone bridge to the beach and tucked the book away in his pocket. "I must wonder if I truly am a fool, Miss Penelope."

The two stopped walking for a moment and Penny could see the water welling up in Elliott's eyes. She shook her head vigorously to prevent herself from doing the same. "I don't think anyone is foolish for loving another person," she said earnestly. "I-I think sometimes we just get unlucky." Her voice became shaky as she finished expressing her sentiment. "O-or we wait too long to t-t-tell the person how we f-feel and then he goes and dates someone else!" It was too late. Penny's emerald eyes flooded over and produced tiny streams of salt water down her face.

For a moment, Elliott's hair became a curtain against the light of the lamp post, so all Penny could see was his profile. "My, are we not a sight?" he chuckled, though from the texture of his voice, Penny suspected that Elliott had allowed himself to cry as well. Penny stepped into the shadow produced by her companion so she could better see his face. Sure enough, the sensitive man's cheeks were moistened with tears as well. "I do not wish for others to suffer, but I must confess I am pleased to have someone with whom I can commiserate," he admitted guiltily. "I am often told I am too sentimental for my own well-being. My mannerisms can be a bit... eccentric."

Penny dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief Elliott let her borrow earlier and voiced her disagreement, "I think it's wonderful when a man can express his emotions. Bottling it all up does more harm than good, I think."

"I appreciate the validation, Miss Penelope," Elliott said, retrieving another handkerchief from the inner pockets of his burgundy overcoat. "I hope that you continue to express your opinion more often. I do not believe I have heard your lovely voice the entire year I have resided in this town as much as I have this evening."

If the schoolteacher were not already red in the face from her tears, she might have blushed. "Thank you... for talking to me. I do not mean to be a burden."

"I never thought anything of the sort," Elliott assured Penny with a raise of his thick eyebrows.

The weepy duo took a few moments of silence to compose themselves before continuing on to the beach. As she felt the hard stone beneath her feet slowly transition to fine sand, Penny turned her gaze up toward the waxing moon nearly three-quarters full. "I just wish I had the courage to speak up before it was too late..." she told her neighbor. "As silly as it sounds... it never occurred to me that someone else might beat me to it."

"In that aspect we are our own greatest enemies," Elliott replied solemnly, "when we do not allow ourselves to live."

The ginger pursed her lips and wrung the handkerchief in her hands, "I often wonder if I will ever have a life of my own..."

"Whatever do you mean?" Elliott inquired, tilting his head toward Penny to better read her expression.

Penny stared at the sand beneath her toes guiltily as they walked along the shore, the lapping of the waves disintegrating their footprints behind them. "My mother. She's..." the young woman was not sure if she should speak her mind or keep things polite. But then again, Penny finally had a taste for saying what she really felt today, and the young woman found she enjoyed its bittersweet taste. "She's a drunk and does not take care of herself or the house. It's like living with an ungrateful, over-sized toddler!" the young woman complained, pushing the shame of it all away for just a moment. "And yet, I have to be grateful to her, because she stuck around to raise me, unlike my father..." The red-head's voice began to crack. "So I suppose without realizing it - I put all my hopes into the dream that one day I was going to escape it all by marrying Sam and raising our children in a loving household. But now..." Penny hid her face in the embroidered cloth once again. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I thought I was done crying..." Pulling the soggy square from her face, she noticed Elliott's face much closer to hers than it was before. Penny bowed her face to hide how awful it must have looked from her near-constant weeping this evening.

Elliott reached a hand and gently tipped Penny's chin up toward his face, "Miss Penelope..." he said in a hushed voice, barely audible over the sound of the waves. "Never apologize for how you feel. It is what makes us undeniably unique and - most importantly - human." His hand slowly retreated back to his side, but Penny continued to look up at his chiseled features. The poet could feel his companion's gaze upon him. "Please know that I am not saying this to be flippant, but I know what it means to sacrifice for one's mother," he confessed to Penny. "Although, I cannot say I could have imagined how much it would cost me. I thought it meant I would be free to pursue my passions," he mused aloud. "But... perhaps it is for the best. I am not suited for business like my brother."

Penny noticed his amber eyes caught a special sparkle in the moonlight reflected off of the ocean. Elliott noticed the woman's stares and he began to touch his face, as if searching for something. "Is... there something on my face? Or is my hair disheveled in an undignified manner? I spend a great deal of time on my appearance, it would be an utter betrayal if they were to rebel against my wishes."

The woman laughed at the sudden shift in Elliott's mood. "No, just you."

"Ah, that is a relief," Elliott responded, running his fingers through his hair and flipping his long bangs out of his face. "All that I am is 'just me.'" The poet shifted his gaze back to Penny. "Shall we resume our moonlight stroll on the beach?" he suggested. "Tell me about your favorite books, for example."

The teacher smiled and quickened her step to fall in stride with Elliott. Together, the two walked along the shore for the rest of the evening, until the moon rose high into the night sky.


	33. Night Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relationships are tested in a game of cut throat pool. Shane plays as Sam's partner. Sam spills the beans on an embarrassing secret of Sebastian's. Shane reflects on his life. Sebastian struggles between his head and his heart and receives a visitor at at an inopportune moment.

"So... 'cutthroat pool' means what, exactly?" Shane asked for clarification, holding the maple cue stick awkwardly in his hand. It had been ages since he played. If Emily had not smiled at him with that hopeful look in her eyes, he would not have even bothered with this stupid game. As much as he hated interacting with most people, Shane felt worse when he made Emily upset. So, here he was with these weirdos... _socializing_. Glancing back toward the bar he saw the ruby red of Emily's lips beam at him from across the room and Shane knew he had to follow-through now. At least he would get some pepper poppers out of this, either way.

"It's easy," Violet explained, leaning over the pool table to collect the acrylic balls. "One team gets one through five, the second team gets six through ten, and the third team goes for eleven through fifteen. Five balls each." The short woman separated the clusters of five to demonstrate. "Your team is trying to pocket the other teams' balls and be the last team remaining. If we have two teams vying for first place that get knocked out in the same round, we'll have to think of a tie-breaker..."

"Sudden-death trick shots?" Sebastian suggested jokingly, coming to stand next to the purple-haired shorty, his partner for the game. Shane was amused to see that he was taller than at least a few people in town. Though Sebastian had an annoying couple of inches on him. Why did he have to be the oldest, shortest single guy in town? He looked down at his gut. _And fattest..._ he thought, feeling defeated. This was not the way he imaged being the best in life.

The farm girl glanced between the three who usually hung out in the arcade room on Friday nights. "Do you all have house rules on tie-breakers?" Violet asked.

Sebastian looked down at his partner, the edges of his mouth pulled back in a smile, "You think Sam ever managed to make a single shot when it was just the two of us?"

Sam cut in to defend himself, "Maybe some of us are more invested in chilling with his besties than winning the game." Shane gathered there was little hope in their team winning this thing unless he, by some miracle, ended up with a shitload of beginner's luck.

The grocer's daughter stamped the floor impatiently with the bottom of her cue stick, making a loud thump. "This is stupid" Abigail pronounced, her competitive spirit shining through the glint in her eyes. "So let's just all agree that the tie-breaker is an arm-wrestling match and call it a day!"

"Who uses arm wrestling as a tie-breaker?" Shane asked incredulously, practicing his aim on the felted surface of the pool table. He could not tell if he was holding the stick correctly or not, but the idea seemed simple enough. The stubbly man preferred sports that required more athleticism, but then again, he was way out of shape.

His blond partner shrugged, "Just roll with it, fam," he told Shane. Sam then winked at his fellow Joja Mart co-worker. "I have a feeling you're our ace in the hole should it come down to arm wrestling anyway."

Shane scoffed, but considering he stocked heavy cans onto shelves all day at Joja Mart and often helped Marnie with the larger bales of hay on the ranch, Sam might actually have a point. Even if he was ballooning around the middle from all the beer, he still had decent arm strength. "Yeah, fine..." Shane grumbled. "The sooner we get started, the sooner I can leave."

"So who's breaking?" the floral-haired woman asked as she filled the rack and lifted it away. "And how do we decide who goes for what numbers?"

"Oldest to youngest to give us a starting point, maybe?" Leah suggested, much to Shane's chagrin. "And if the person breaking gets a ball in they choose which team to assign the disadvantage." Most of the players found the plan generally agreeable and made adjustments when necessary. Shane was displeased to find out that he was the oldest by several years, but Violet was excited to discover that his birthday was the next day. "Congrats!" she said with a friendly smile.

The chicken farmer grumbled under his breath but nodded to accept the fact that Violet was trying to be friendly, even if Shane did not think his birthday was a reason to celebrate. From her reaction, Abigail seemed offended that she was the youngest in the crowd, but it only made her more determined to prove herself. Shane made a mental note not to mess with that girl when it came to any sort of competition. Too late now, but in the future, the grocer's daughter was nothing if not feisty. From there, to ensure that the teams rotated turns fairly, the order was adjusted to Leah, Sebastian, Sam, Abigail, and Violet.

Shane lined up the cue to break and practiced the shot several times, stopping just short of actually making contact with the white cue. Finally, when he was satisfied, he pulled his elbow back and thrust the stick forward quickly. The break was a decent one, knocking in the candy red 3-ball. Sam lit up with excitement. "Oh, oh, fam! Let's give the disadvantage to the ladies."

Abigail scowled, "What the hell, Sam?! You're my boyfriend!"

The blond gave her a cool look, and leaned onto his cue stick to loom over her slightly. "Accept the consequences of your actions, babe," he teased, winking at Abigail. "You dropped me for Leah, remember?"

The amethyst-haired woman huffed in annoyance. "Shane gets to make the decision, he's the one who made it in!"

The oldest of the group paled, "I'm _not_ getting in the middle of this..." he declared decisively, backing away from the table to rest against the wall until his turn came about again. "You two work this out on your own."

"Well, you need to make a decision, because you get to go again until you fail to sink a ball into a pocket," Violet instructed, tilting her head back toward the table. "It's still your turn."

The stubbly man complained under his breath, but did as he was told. "Fine, give the first five balls to Leah and Abigail," Shane said as he bent over to take another shot at a cluster of balls near the corner pocket. The cue ball scattered the orbs, but they all remained on the felted surface, which made it Leah's turn.

Throwing her braid off to one side, Leah took aim and hit slightly off-center of her presumed target. Whether it was her lack of experience or her slight tipsiness from the strawberry wine was unclear, but the artist did not seem too concerned by it. Abigail was frustrated that Leah missed, but since the younger woman had chosen her as a partner over Sam, the most competitive player could not really complain. Shane chuckled to himself at how worked up Abigail got over a silly game like pool. If it were gridball, sure, but this was hardly worth the effort.

Next was Sebastian, who tipped the plum-colored 4-ball in easily. Abigail fumed on the sidelines, but could do nothing to stop her friend from sauntering to the other side of the table and making sure the bright yellow ball met the same fate. "You're targeting us on purpose!" she roared at Sebastian, who only chuckled as he took aim at the orange orb and shot it into the closest side pocket. Already, the Leah-Abigail duo was down to one and the programmer had not yet finished his turn. "Don't you fucking dare!" Abigail hissed as Sebastian eyed the spread of the table to choose his quarry.

"If you take her out without giving her a chance to even make a shot, Abigail's probably going to kill you," Violet joked from the sidelines, warning her partner of the potential danger. Violet, like Shane, could see the fire in the Abigail's eyes across the room. _At least she has some common sense..._ Shane thought to himself.

Sebastian flashed his partner a cocky half-smile, "I'll leave the killing blow to you." Shane noticed Violet looked away shyly for a moment and from the exchange, got the distinct impression that the goth kid was flirting with the new girl and she didn't know how to handle it. The day drinker and the smoker. _What a couple they would make,_ he thought sarcastically, still unaware that Haley's picture was not of a drunken Violet, but rather the farmer under the influence of a strange magical tea and that Sebastian was in the process to quit smoking. "Did you two ever decide which set you wanted?" Sebastian asked, yanking Shane out of his head.

Shane shrugged nonchalantly. "No, why?"

Sebastian's dark eyes did one last sweep over the table before he leaned over to take aim. With a lightning-quick motion, the green-striped orb clacked into the pocket in front of Sam. "Then I guess I just chose for you," Sebastian informed the Joja Mart co-workers. Shane was not bothered by the development, but Sam vowed vengeance. Not that anyone truly believed he would be capable of exacting revenge, but that did not matter to the blond. Either way, Sebastian did not pocket his next attempt, so it was Sam's turn.

The skater had a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he turned the corner of the table to take aim at Leah and Abigail's deep blue 2-ball. Shane had to smirk at his partner's audacity as he leaned against the wall well away from the table in case Abigail went for him. She had the look of a wild animal in her eyes. "You wouldn't dare..." Abigail growled in a warning tone. While it was unlikely her boyfriend would succeed, Abigail tugged at the hem of her sleeveless vest in agitation.

"Can't blame a man for trying," Sam laughed as his stick tapped the cue ball. The white orb rolled toward the 2 with an ominously accurate trajectory. Sure enough, the contact pushed Leah and Abigail's last ball into the hole after an agonizingly slow roll. With that, the ladies' duo had lost before Abigail even got a chance to defend them. "This is bullshit!" The young woman was in the process of yelling a string of obscenities when Leah dragged her partner over to the bar side of the saloon to calm down. "Hey, I want to talk with you really quickly," Leah told Abigail in a hushed tone, so the others would not hear. "We're going to get some drinks," she announced, so no one would think anything was odd if they disappeared for a while.

* * *

Violet was surprised that Sam opted to bring in someone new rather than be her partner, but she appreciated that Sam invited Shane to play with them. Violet made an effort last week to talk to Shane so he would not always be standing along next to the fire place, especially after their brief conversation out on the dock of the pond in the Cindersap Forest. The farmer worried about the presumed alcoholic's head space and where an extra drink or two might take him on a bad day. Their conversation last week had been enjoyable enough to keep her as distracted as possible from her headache. While Violet was sure it was because of Emily's insistence, Shane could keep a conversation going on chicken stories and tales of rival gridball team pranks for a while. It was a pleasant surprise.

The local ringer seemed pleased that he ended up with Violet as well. While the farmer was not anywhere near as skilled as he, Violet was not as bad as Sam and she could reign in his hubris should it come into play. On paper, they had a decent chance at victory. Violet's only real concern was talking to Sebastian after her eureka moment the night before and how to broach the subject, if at all. For now, the farmer wanted to enjoy the time with her new friends. Keeping her winning streak alive would just be an added bonus.

It did not take long for Violet to realize that Sebastian may just take the victory singled-handed. Luckily for her - and by extension the friendships of all those present - her partner spared Abigail and Leah from elimination all in one fell swoop. "I'll leave the killing blow to you," he assured the farmer, flashing the one-sided grin that made Violet's heart flutter. She looked away almost immediately so she would not be caught in the spell. Violet did not want to be seen staring so openly when there were so many witnesses. The newcomer did not want to give anyone the wrong impression about her current intentions - that is, she had none.

Sam ruined Abigail and Leah's chances of victory and Abigail nearly lunged on him if not for Leah pulling her away to grab some drinks. The skater only clacked the balls around the table on his next shot, so that made it her turn.

"Just don't overthink it," Sebastian encouraged her as she crinkled her face trying to determine the best plan of attack. "You did really well last week when you just went for it," he added.

While that was true, Violet was a bit embarrassed that her best performance thus far had been relatively mindless. It was a little off-putting to her that Sebastian was trying to give her tips. While it was not unusual for a teammate to try and coach the other, it seemed off for Sebastian. "I'm a champion over-thinker," she told her partner, adjusting her height in several ways to view the table from different angles. Sam and Shane's team still had four balls to their five. "And the only reason I was so good last week is because my headache prevented me from thinking about anything too much."

Violet noticed Sebastian's fingers brush up against his arm where his nicotine patch adhered to his arm, "Right..." he muttered quietly.

The farmer shook her head and averted her gaze to look back at the green felted table. "Sorry," she apologized guiltily. "I didn't mean to bring it up again, just stating a fact." She plunged the cue stick toward her target, which made contact with the orange-striped 13-ball. It rolled toward the corner, but the momentum did not carry it far enough to reach the pocket. "Oh, so close!" she moaned.

The black-clad man shrugged, "Eh, you set it up for me."

"You're being weirdly... nice," Violet told her partner suspiciously.

Sebastian frowned, furrowing his brow, "What's that supposed to mean? Am I not allowed to give you pointers?"

"It's just very different than how you play with Sam," the farmer explained defensively. "It's weirding me out!" Truth be told, a lot of other things Sebastian had done were being re-examined in a new light, but that was a conversation to have one-on-one.

"Forgive me for not treating you the same as my best friend, whom I've known for over a decade," he replied sarcastically with a roll of his dark eyes.

When he said it like that, Violet felt a little foolish for her complaint. Of course people who were close could joke around with each other more freely. This was only her third week in Pelican Town.

"Don't sweat it, Violet. Sebby and I have a different sort of bond," the skater explained casually. "Though he's probably treating me so harshly lately because I stole his first kiss," Sam chuckled, perched on the arm of the blue sofa. "He may never forgive me. I didn't take responsibility..." he added teasingly to get a rise out of Sebastian.

The darker-haired of the dynamic duo looked away. "That wasn't my first kiss," Sebastian confessed hesitantly, hiding behind his dark tapered bangs.

"You dog!" Sam's mouth stretched in a smile that spanned the entirety of his face. "Wait, so you actually kissed Sapphire?! Or is there someone else I don't know about, fam?"

Surprisingly, Shane jumped in. "I'm not gonna ask and choose to assume Sam was being a friendly drunk," the oldest of the group stated, regarding Sam's comment about kissing Sebastian. "But who the fuck is Sapphire?" Shane demanded with a hearty chuckle. "That sounds like a stripper name!" he added in a mocking tone.

The blonde perched on top of the back of the couch with his feet on the cushion below and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Well, for Sebastian's twenty-first birthday, we headed to the city to celebrate, and accidentally picked up some -"

Sebastian leapt onto the couch, pressing Sam against the wall and covering the blond's mouth, "I told you never to mention that again!" he hissed.

Violet hid her laughter behind her hands, which cupped the bottom half of her face. "Oh my gosh, you totally picked up hookers, didn't you?"

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" the black-clad man shouted desperately, turning to face the other two still left in the room. "I didn't know!"

Sam gave his best friend a look, "They were standing on a street corner, when we pulled up they asked 'So what'll it be?' and told us their names were Ruby and Sapphire." The blond shrugged his shoulder and wiggled his jaw back and forth now that Sebastian had released it. "Those are some dead giveaways, fam!"

The programmer was so red in the face, Violet thought he might implode. "It... didn't occur to me," he said slowly and deliberately, trying to calm himself down. "By the time we picked them up, Sam had already taken me to three different bars and I was pretty drunk," Sebastian explained, trying to reduce the blow to his ego. "And when Sapphire finally told me at the end of the night, she said that my naiveté was quote 'adorable,' and gave me a kiss as thanks for 'all the fun.'"

"Yoooooo," Sam rolled onto the couch cushions and cackled. "Damn, a kiss for drinks and dinner."

"Aw, so you took two a pair of hookers out for a G-rated date," Violet cooed with a laugh, prodding Sebastian with her elbow. The look of Sebastian's face convinced her that he was sincerely embarrassed by the whole affair and genuinely had no idea what he had done until it was too late. She relaxed now that Sebastian was acting more like himself, even if he was cornered into it by Sam's ruthless reveal. Violet decided against teasing Sebastian further.

"Can we just finish this game already?" the young man asked in annoyance. Sebastian did not enjoy being the butt of everyone's jokes, especially in front of Violet. Then again, she had joined in.

Shane sauntered up to the table in a much better mood now that he had a good laugh and made a successful shot, evening out the teams. Surprised by his own work, the poultry farmer tried again with the same result. "Heh," Shane adjusted the collar on his grimy green shirt. "Would ya look at that?"

Sebastian started to pale as Shane lined up his next target, worried that he may pay for his hubris a second time this season. Luckily for the programmer, Shane missed his third shot, but the Joja Mart duo was still currently in the lead with an extra ball on the table in comparison to their competitors.

The black-clad man was determined to make Sam pay for mentioning his twenty-first birthday in front of other people. At least Abigail and Leah had not heard, so the numbers were slightly reduced, but now other people knew his shameful secret. Sebastian knocked put two of the four almost immediately, but the third ball ended up being at a bad angle from his starting point, so he barely missed.

Sam was up and the pressure was on. The other team had three balls: 6, 7, and 8 to their remaining two: 13 and 15. The blond was a firm believer in the superstition that the black 8-ball should be saved for last, even in this situation, so he tried for the solid green six. "C'mon baby!" Sam hollered at the orb as it rolled down the long end of the felted table and fell into the designated hole. "Score!" he shouted with a hoot.

"Have you been hustling me this entire time?" Sebastian accused his usual partner.

The blond smirked and wrapped his arm around an unwilling Shane. "I just needed a bro to believe in me!"

Shane's side-eye said it all, but he still voiced his opinion, "... I had zero faith in you this whole time, Sam."

Unfazed, Sam rolled up the sleeves of his denim jacket slightly and made contact with the cue ball, aiming for the red seven along the short end of the table. A clack rang out to signal that the two collided, but the 7-ball remained in play. Now it was up to Violet.

"No pressure," Sebastian huffed sarcastically, seemingly still put-out by Violet's commentary about his behavior. Violet stuck out her tongue at him childishly, but tapped the white cue quickly. To her shock, the red-striped 15-ball fell into the pocket opposite where Violet stood. Her mouth hung open in awe. "I did it!" she proclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah," Sebastian said dismissively. "Don't get too worked up yet, you still have to finish them off!" her partner ordered, pointing at the ball that separated them from victory.

Violet was not about to let her partner dampen her spirits, even if he was correct that they had yet to win. Luckily, the orange-banded 13-ball sat pretty right next to the corner pocket where she left it. "Here goes nothing!"

* * *

"I can't believe you missed that shot," Sebastian lamented for the dozenth time as the two exited The Stardrop Saloon.

The farmer bristled slightly. "Hey, I've gotten better!" Violet shouted back in defense. "Besides, I didn't miss. I _scratched_. And who knew that Shane would be so good?"

"Beginner's luck," the hoodie-wearer shrugged, kicking a small pebble with the toe of his black leather boots. His losing streak was starting to make him a poor sport. As the two headed toward the Square, Sebastian glanced at Violet. "Uh... I can't walk you home tonight," he informed her, sounding almost disappointed. "I promised someone I'd meet them soon."

"Ooh, a secret rendezvous," Violet laughed. "Is it with Sapphire?"

Sebastian scowled, "Enough already! You all have had your laugh!" he insisted. "If Sam had been a responsible friend, he would not have allowed it to happen at all!"

"I guess you couldn't consent to your first kiss if you were that drunk," Violet mused aloud. "Poor Sebastian and his embarrassing first kiss."

The black-haired man huffed, "Why do you not sound so sorry?"

Violet shrugged, "My first kiss was nothing to brag about either," she replied vaguely. "I think what matters more is your last kiss."

"Wow, that bad, huh?" though Sebastian found that he liked the sentiment behind Violet's philosophy on the subject.

The farmer groaned, "It was in high school and we were playing spin the bottle," the pastel-haired woman said hesitantly. "Noah's a sweet guy, but he tried to use tongue because of some bad advice and it just ended up being slobbery and gross."

Sebastian laughed, "You played spin the bottle?" he asked, as if he did not believe that people still did that. "Isn't that super old school?"

"Hey, that game is really popular among parochial schools when the guys and girls finally get a chance to socialize."

"You went to a private school? With like uniforms and what not?"

"Yes, with the stupid button-up shirts and pleated skirts! My mom insisted," Violet complained. Sebastian found himself trying to keep cool when he found himself picturing Violet in her old high school uniform. It made him feel dirty, knowing that lots of guys sexualized all-girls' schools and their uniforms, and discovering he was not immune. Really, he could not imagine Violet as student, so he just imagined her as she was now wearing more feminine clothes in general. Not that she looked bad in her t-shirts, jeans, and boots. Honestly, that's basically the kind of clothing he wore, but now he could not get the idea of her in a dress or skirt out of his head. Sebastian had done so well just focusing on being friends this evening. Fuck!

Violet did not seem to notice Sebastian's distress. "That particular game actually led to a few couples in the friend group for a while," Violet recalled, rocking from the back of her heels to the balls of her foot. "Bex and Michelle were an item for a while after that." After a moment's pause, she added, "I think it took the pressure off of Michelle to finally get the nerve to say something. They were really cute, but they decided to break things off after she graduated since she was a year older."

It got to the point where Sebastian could not derail his current train of thought no matter what tactic he tried and he had to perform an emergency evacuation to save face, otherwise Violet was going to notice something that was getting more obvious by the minute and the young man had already suffered enough humiliation this evening. "I've gotta go, I'm gonna be late!" he announced, marching off stiffly around the corner for Pierre's to head home.

"Okay, bye..." Violet blinked, unsure of what just happened. "Huh." The farmer thought it best to head home anyway. After Shane and Sam won, Emily had presented the winners with their plate of pepper poppers. Violet pulled Emily aside and asked about Shane's favorites, since it was his birthday the next day.

"You're so sweet," Emily beamed and jotted down a short list of things that Shane liked. "Between you and me," the bartender whispered as she leaned in closer to the farmer. "I don't... _recommend_ giving him beer if you can help it, though," the woman in the red dress told Violet. "And I've got the cake covered, so no worries!" Her warm brown eyes winked at the pastel-haired newcomer.

So, the newest member of Pelican Town headed west toward the farm, scanning Emily's list of Shane's favorite things. "Pizza!" she exclaimed when she saw it in Emily's fluid cursive writing. "I can do that! I'll stop by the saloon at lunch and grab one for him." When Violet arrived home, Bruno lunged upon her in a happy heap of licks and wagging tail. "Ready to cuddle and settle down for the night, boy?" Violet asked her affectionate canine. "Let me brush my teeth and I'll join you. Why don't you go ahead, Bruno?"

The large dog hopped onto the bed and sat at attention once Violet closed the bathroom door. Violet heard Bruno's low growl as she was finishing up and wondered what troubled her faithful companion. "What's wrong, Bru-bru?"

Her German Shepherd turned his head to face his human and barked enthusiastically before settling down, with no sign to indicate what caused him to issue a warning in the first place. However, now Bruno seemed completely relaxed and ready to hunker down at the foot of the bed. "You worry me sometimes..." Violet said, patting Bruno's large head as she turned off the light and lie down. "Good night."

* * *

Shane got home late that night, and as he rolled into bed the clock on his nightstand mocked him. It was past midnight, which meant he was thirty now. Thirty years old and nothing to show for it. A crappy job, no real friends, and no direction in his life. What made things worse was that although he did have some fun tonight, Shane realized that once he left the bar he felt that much more empty. Sure, the younger 20-somethings took pity on him today, but only because they needed an extra player. Even if he found out he was decent at the game, it didn't matter. He wasn't anything special and he never would become anything that anyone would value. What was the point of all this? Was he just going to repeat this same pattern day in and day out until he died miserable and alone?

Sam ordered only one plate of pepper popper after their victory against the farm girl and the goth guy and promised him a second whenever Shane wanted. Mainly it was because Gus wanted to close the kitchens and Emily had already prepared a plate when the game was wrapping up. The bartender was thoughtful that way, always anticipating what he wanted ahead of time. Though he was a creature of habit, like most bar flies, so that probably was not anything to brag about either. Why did she even bother talking to him anyway? Was Emily just bored and used him to kill time?

The man sighed. Shane realized he was never going to get a good job, or a girlfriend, or any real happiness in life. His thoughts continued to weigh him down into the pit of his depression. "Fuck it," Shane mutter to himself, sitting up on his bed and reaching down to the opened six-pack on the floor. He began to down the beer quickly, trying to drown out the thoughts. If only his brain would just stop thinking. Maybe then he would not be so miserable. Just one more drink to silence the voices. One more drink to quash his inner demons. And the beer kept flowing down his gullet like rain down a storm drain.

* * *

Sebastian rushed home and immediately disappeared into his room before anyone could speak to him. The jog home had done some good to calm down, but he decided a cold shower was probably best to get rid of the problem. "I can't have you going rogue when I'm hanging out with Violet," he told his lower half in annoyance. "I don't care how cute she is, keep your cool. I want to be friends with her, you know. Violet is going to think I'm a gross perv if you keep this up." The ice-cold water extinguished the problematic member and Sebastian returned to his room in a towel to grab some clean clothes and dry his hair.

The light of the three-quarter moon did well enough to light the room, so he did not bother turning on the light. Once he found some suitable clothes, he dropped his towel and started to put them on when suddenly his room went dark. Looking up at the window, Sebastian saw the moonlight was blocked by a figure, and a pair of back-lit eyes stared down at him.


	34. Human Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane, depressed about turning 30 with nothing to show for it, drinks himself into a stupor. Marnie and Emily find him in the aftermath. Sebastian and Krobus are reunited. Sam asks for Violet's advice regarding the band he and Sebastian are forming.

Emily found herself levitating on an iridium altar, in the center of an intricately woven rug of rich, golden silks. On a platform of puffy white clouds, the duck-palms grew tall with healthy, lush tops of green. They sky around her bled from one color to the next, going from deep sapphire to bright pink.

During her meditation, Violet appears upon the cloud before the altar, interrupting the spiritual woman's trance. Emily stood and approached the farmer questioningly. "Why are you here?" the woman in the ruby red dress asked the newcomer.

Violet did not answer and as Emily approached her, streaks of rainbow light shot across the sky like comets. Emily's lips pulled back into a smile, "That reminds me of something," she told the young woman beside her. "Even the tiniest, blandest, simplest light hold a wonderful secret."

Emily giggled at the mute farmer, who looked at her quizzically. "Nowwwwww I know why you're here. It's a sign." The blue-haired woman laughed with delight. Violet tilted her head to one side inquiringly, her wavy hair swaying, unable to fight gravity. Then, the farmer's body began to pulse before disappearing altogether.

The spiritualist looked around, searching for a sign of Violet, but to no avail. Emily awoke in her bed in the most peaceful manner in recent memory. Swinging her feet to the floor, Emily rose from the bed. "Violet..." she muttered to herself, "There's something special about Violet..." Her gaze drifted out the window as she watched the birds fly by. "Our destinies will intersect..."

The young woman stood there in her dazed state for some time before the birdsong outside brought her back to focus. She blinked shook the sleep from her head, "Right! It's time to make a cake for Shane's birthday!" Humming a merry tune, Emily glided out of her bedroom and into the kitchen to start the process. "Oh... should I try to add chili peppers to the chocolate to add a more complex flavor? I bet Shane would like that!"

* * *

Marnie awoke early that morning to prepare something special for Shane: a complete breakfast. Yes, he was a grown man, but everyone should have good, filling meals on their birthday. It was an unwritten understanding in this family and Marnie was not about to slack on tradition. Surely this was much better for him than those silly microwave burritos he shoved into his mouth each morning. If Shane could start his day off on the right foot, the rest of the day was sure to follow. While Marnie was not particularly attuned to what the kids were up to these days, she did notice that Shane had been social with people his age last night. His aunt wanted to encourage that behavior so badly. Her nephew needed more people in his corner.

As she finished her preparation, Marnie heard a soft knock at the door. "Who could that be?" she wondered aloud. Normally, she would not answer the door before business hours when she was not expecting Lewis, but it was Shane's birthday, so part of her hoped it was someone swinging by to give him well-wishes.

Marnie was pleasantly surprised when she saw a chipper Emily standing in her doorway. "Good morning, Marnie!" the young woman greeted the resident with a sunny smile. "I came to bring Shane his birthday cake!"

The brunette inspected the cake in awe, "My dear, did you make this yourself?"

Emily nodded, "First thing this morning!" she informed the rancher. "Be careful to warn Jas that one side of the cake is spicy with hot chili peppers! I'm sure she will try to get her hands on some," she sapphire-haired woman giggled.

"Is that a cake?!" a small voice rang out in excitement. It was Jas, who had just woken up, presumably at the mention of her name and the word "cake" being uttered within earshot. Emily bent down to the child's level. "It's Shane's cake, but I'm sure he will let you have some. I would be careful, though. Half of it has some spiciness to it that might be too hot for you, Jas."

The girl pouted, "Why would you ruin cake like that?" she huffed with disappointment.

"I promise when it's your birthday, you'll get a nice big pink cake with _no_ chili peppers," Emily vowed offering a pinky to seal the deal. "Does that sound okay?"

Jas' dark eyes sparkled at the mention of a cake for her birthday, which was less than two weeks away. "Really?" she asked Emily hopefully. "With _extra_ icing?"

Emily laughed and adjusted one of Jas' bright green barrettes, which had gone askew. "Of course, Jas. Anything you want."

The little girl let out a yell of triumph as she hooked fingers and stamped her thumb to Emily's. Upon smelling all the delicious things her guardian made for their morning meal, Jas went to go sit at the kitchen table for breakfast.

Emily's warm eyes glanced around the house and finally rested on Marnie. "Is Shane around?" she asked, gesturing to the cake.

"Oh, I'll go get him," his aunt chuckled. "He came in a bit later than usual last night, from the sound of things." She rapped on Shane's door before entering. "Shane?" Marnie called gently. No answer. The woman turned to their visitor, "Go ahead and set that on the table," she instructed Emily. "I'll bring him out to you."

The baker did as she was told and sat across from Jas at the table. "Oh dear..." the young woman heard Marnie say from inside Shane's room.

That did not sound good. "Excuse me, Jas," Emily said politely, quickly following Marnie into Shane's room. Emily was worried what she would find. Shane was lying on the wooden floor in front of his red couch, surrounded by scattered, empty beer cans. A sickened sound escaped his mouth, but he did not stir.

His aunt looked at Emily pleadingly, wringing the emerald green of his dress in her hands. "Emily... Could you do something?" she begged quietly, so Jas would not overhear. "He's out cold." Marnie looked worried, like she had seen this before with poor results.

Emily went back to the kitchen to grab a glass of ice water, making sure to greet Jas again so she did not feel like the adults were ignoring her. Re-entering the room, Emily knelt beside the unconscious Shane and poured the water onto his face to wake him.

Shane coughed and spluttered as the icy water streamed down his face, as his mind's first thought was that he was drowning. "Whaa..?!" he cried, stumbling to his feet.

Marnie, seeing that Shane had been revived, shouted at her nephew. "Shane! What's the matter with you?" she demanded, her face flushed with anger. "All you do anymore is mope around your room and drink beer!"

Shane's face darkened and he turned away from the two women. "You wouldn't understand..." he snapped.

His aunt reached out a hand toward him, but Shane shrugged it off his shoulder. "I'm worried," Marnie said, the concern saturating the tone of her voice. Jas, who had heard the shouting, meekly entered the room and held onto Marnie's green dress like a lifeline. Her guardian patted the little girl's head to soothe the child. "What's your plan? Don't you ever think about the future?" Marnie asked Jas' godfather.

"Plan?" Shane scoffed and turned to look at the sunny day outside that mocked his misery. "Hopefully I won't be around long enough to need a 'plan...'"

Jas heard the passively suicidal statement coming from her father figure and fled the room, enormous tears dripping from her eyes and she ran.

Marnie could not stop the tiny girl from leaving and was torn between following Jas to comfort her and finishing her confrontation with her drunken nephew. She chose the former, giving Emily a despondent look as she left Shane's room to retrieve Jas.

Emily watched the woman go, then turned to her friend. Shane's eyes looked so hollow. "Jas..." he whispered, holding his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed, falling to his knees and visibly shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated like a mantra.

His friend lowered herself onto the floor to collect his weepy body and pull him into an embrace. "Oh, Shane..." she said sadly, caressing his dark hair between her fingers as they both knelt on the floor. “You have a terrible illness," she told him as her other hand stroked his back. He reeked of alcohol, but she ignored the scent and continued, "And you're trying to shoulder everything on your own."

"I ruin everything!" Shane wailed into Emily's shoulder. "I'm such a worthless piece of shit. Why did David have to die? Why couldn't it have been me? Then at least Jas would have a father!"

Emily tore herself away from her friend and gave him a fierce look, "Shane, you are a wonderful, caring person. Please don't ever say such things about my best friend. He's going through a terrible time right now..." the tears formed in her eyes as she continued to speak, "I worry that this illness in his head is going to take him away from everyone that loves him..."

Shane shuddered and turned his head up to look at Emily for the first time that day. He saw her usually cheerful face contorted into a trembling expression of desperation. "Emily..." he whispered, aghast at what he had done.

"Look at me, Shane," Emily ordered and the man maintained eye contact, though her gaze made Shane uncomfortably vulnerable and small in that moment. "There are lots of people here in Pelican Town who love you," she assured him, squeezing his shoulders for emphasis. "Please promise me if you ever feel like you're losing against this sickness, you call one of us, okay? Anytime day or night, for me especially." The tears started streaming down her face, "Please promise me, Shane."

The alcoholic downcast his eyes, ashamed for making two people he cared about cry in the span of a few minutes. "I..." he sighed and took several more deep breaths before he nodded. “I promise," he finally said with a grimace.

"Good," Emily sighed, pulling him back in for a hug. "I don't want to wake up one morning and find you've left too soon."

"I get it, I get it," Shane replied, awkwardly resting his arms to wrap Emily in a hug as well. It felt good, but strange to hug someone else. He was pretty sure Jas was the only person he had hugged in the last several years, and as cute as she was, embracing with a fully grown person had a different feel. He clutched at Emily tighter when it became obvious she was not going to let go anytime soon. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly.

Emily released him and shook her head, "The only apology I will accept is if you keep the promise you made today," she told him firmly. Her light brown eyes softened when they rested on his face. "Please just know that you are loved..." The young woman stood up, dusting off her signature red dress. "Now come eat some breakfast. Marnie made you a lot of good food and there's cake to follow!"

"Cake?" Shane repeated questioningly.

"Yes! I made it this morning," the woman informed her friend, bounding toward the kitchen. "And I'll let you guess the secret ingredient!" Emily giggled, winking at Jas, who had come back to the kitchen with Marnie. Jas hid a smile behind her small hands.

Shane's head wagged back and forth between the two. "Why do I feel like this is a trap?" he thought out loud.

The three females laughed, which did not assuage Shane's suspicions in the slightest. "I think you'll like it," Emily assured him, pulling out a chair at the table. "Now come eat! It would be a terrible shame if it went cold before we could enjoy it!"

* * *

After watering all her crops, Violet harvested her green beans and parsnips from the garden. As she plucked some beans from the pole, she saw a crumple piece of paper among the greenery. It was a letter from Shane that she must have dropped yesterday when she checked the mail. The holes shaped identically to that of her dog's teeth and slobbery stains on the page suggested that Bruno had found it afterward. It was a recipe for pepper poppers and a message that read:

_"I found this recipe in a magazine and I thought it sounded interesting. Feel free to give me a taste if you make it. Hehe. - Shane"_

Knowing what she did now, Violet figured that this was a not-so-subtle hint that Shane favored the dish. While she did not have the capacity just yet, Robin told Violet that the house upgrade should be finished by the end of today. Then she would finally have a proper kitchen! Just in time for Bex to arrive tomorrow. Oh, there was so much to do before her best friend arrived! Violet was grateful that Bex had been willing to come all the way out here to visit her new place. Rebecca was bringing a truckload of Violet's furniture from her old apartment, so she found finally be able to unpack everything out of the boxes in her house. "Maybe I should go unpack things and put them into neat piles..." she thought aloud. It would also give her a chance to wash some of her clothes that smelled funny from being in storage for so long. That would easily kill a few hours until lunch time.

Sebastian lie on his bed, staring across the room at the living shadow as he gingerly picked up an object one at a time and inspected it before placing it down where he had found it. The process would repeat all over again with the next item of interest.

After over half an hour of silence between the two the night before, Sebastian had worried that Krobus was in some sort of shock or state of disgust at having accidentally seen him unclothed. Soon after, however, the young man remembered that Krobus did not speak on Fridays, though he could not remember why. The human offered his old friend a few things to read and some writing implements, if the shadow were so inclined, but it seems Krobus was happy to simply sit on one of Sebastian's stools and read Cave Saga X until he was permitted to speak again. By the time it struck midnight, the little shadow was more than eager to chat.

"Nelir!" Krobus greeted the man with the old nickname the shadow had given him. "I wanted to make sure you knew I got your note, even if I could not speak right away." The shadow guy paused, "You are tall!" the creature observed in surprise, throwing his arms up toward the ceiling. "Perhaps I should call you 'Malir' now instead?" scanning Sebastian up and down with his empty eye sockets.

It was surreal seeing Krobus again, knowing that all those times the adults in his life tried to tell Sebastian that his friend the shadow was not real. "Nelir is fine, or you know, 'Sebastian,'" he chuckled, remembering that as a child he had asked Krobus what the name meant. _Little friend,_ the supernatural shadow had replied with a pat to Sebastian's head. From the context, Sebastian figured that Malir must mean something along the lines of "big friend."

"Would you prefer that I become taller, for old times' sake?" the shadow teased with a mischievous grin.

"I'm not bothered either way, Krobus." Sebastian smiled. There was something comforting about hearing the shadow's voice again. "So tell me what you have been up to lately," the young man said, sitting down on his bed facing his old friend. "I haven't seen you in ages."

The shadow perched himself on one of Sebastian's jade green stools and smiled coyly, "Oh, just little things here and there," he said. "Running a business, keeping out of sight of the humans, keeping one step ahead of dwarfish assassins..." Krobus went on to share that he now lived in the sewers, where he kept shop and dwell in peace. "Your next of kin are especially difficult to avoid," the creature confessed. "The one with the strange flying devices is troublesome."

It took a moment for Sebastian to determine what Krobus meant. "Oh, Maru's drone thing?" he finally replied. "Yeah, that thing has caused enough trouble if you ask me," the man complained.

Krobus seemed to take notice of something in Sebastian's voice. "Is that so, Nelir? Do tell!" the creature demanded. Sebastian told his friend about the drone following him and Sam occasionally, but more importantly Maru's contraption taking pictures of people without their consent. "Maru got a picture of Violet before anyone had really met her. It felt weird..." Sebastian looked up to see Krobus hiding his expression behind his arm-like appendage.

"Do you mean the human with flowery vines on their head?"

"The new farmer?" Sebastian clarified. "Violet's hair is just dyed that color, but I guess I can see where you're coming from..."

The shadow nodded, "Yes, I think I scared _Violet_ the night of the party that celebrated the young human's birthday." He twiddled his tiny fingers, "I tried to say 'hello' since she seemed to be your friend, but I lost my nerve at the last second..." he confessed bashfully. "Then she ran away."

"Huh..." This was news to Sebastian. He did not recall Violet mentioning anything like that to her, but that did explain why the newcomer was so eager to let Sebastian stay the night the second time, once she had seen the shadowy figure from the video on his phone. "Why didn't you come say 'hi' to me yourself?"

Krobus greyed underneath the holes that were his eyes, which Sebastian guessed to be his equivalent of blushing. "Your emotions were quite... turbulent that night."

Sebastian laughed nervously, knowing now that his friend had witnessed quite a bit of the mess in his life lately. Changing the subject, the young man pivoted back toward the farmer. "Violet's trustworthy," the man assured his supernatural buddy. "I'll introduce you to her, if you would like. She apparently sees some other kinds of creatures I can't see, too."

"The Junimos?" Krobus inquired. "Yes, that is why I wished to seek Violet out. I have business with the Junimos, but they are not typically out at night and have this habit of becoming invisible when others draw near..."

Sebastian shrugged, "I can't see them at all, so I'll take your word for it." The young man started to feel tired, but did not want to fall asleep anytime soon with as much as he wanted to talk about with Krobus. "Hey, I'm going to make some coffee. Do you want any?"

Krobus's upper half tilted curiously. "Coffee?"

The human man smiled at his friend, "I'll take that as a 'yes...'" he replied with a quiet chuckle.

It turned out that Krobus liked coffee. A lot. Where it went when he drank it, Sebastian could not figure out for the life of him, but it was fascinating to watch the shadow drink and find that the liquid disappeared completely. After downing several cups, Krobus seemed satisfied and took on a slightly blueish hue as he sat on his stool with a wide, goofy grin. "When did you learn to cast protective spells, Nelir?" the shadow asked. "Did you feel the need to stake your claim to your mate against my fellow monsters?"

Sebastian nearly spat out his coffee, "My what?"

Krobus blinked innocently. "The spell you cast was over the dwelling of Violet, the new Mother of the Forest," the shadow explained. "Then you spent two nights in her home and then she later spent one night in yours. Usually these statements of intent come in threes. Though most do so in three _consecutive_ nights after moving into the same home, you know. If your intentions were as expect they were, I commend you. A very peaceful practice, rather than dueling all other potential suitors, like days of old." Krobus saw Sebastian's face pale and waved his stubby arms to assure the human, "But no worries, all the creatures in the Valley understand the meaning of your claim and would not dare go against the Commander of the Dead!"

The supposed spell-caster had so many questions and yet could not find the right word to make the inquiries. The man glanced down at his nearly empty coffee mug. Krobus' words were no longer making any sense and no amount of caffeine in the world was going to help with that. "I'm... going to lie down," Sebastian informed his visitor, pulling his blankets over his body. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I just need some rest..."

"Ah, yes, of course..." Krobus agreed apologetically. "I forget how much sleep you humans need." He did, however, take Sebastian up on his offer to stay. All night, it seemed. When Sebastian awoke, there was Krobus picking up the trinkets in his room and inspecting them with care, as if trying to appraise their worth and function. "You are awake!" Krobus greeted Sebastian cheerfully. The shadow brought a small object of interest to the human and held it out to Sebastian. "Could you tell me what this is?"

The gamer rubbed the sleep from his eyes and took the figure from Krobus. "Oh," his dark eyes lit up in recognition, "It’s a miniature for a game I want to play. It represents the wizard, so that's probably the one I'll use."

"Ah," Krobus said thoughtfully, "so it is a game piece." He retrieved the miniature from Sebastian and placed it back on the table across the room. "I would like to return home for now," Krobus stated, "but it is too bright outside for me to go safely. May I borrow a disguise that will block me from the sunlight?"

"Ugh... sure," Sebastian replied, sitting up from his bed. "So you can't have any direct sunlight touching you?" the young man clarified as he reached over to his chest of drawers to pull out his usual black hoodie.

Krobus smiled, "I see you still wear things to match me, Nelir," he crooned with delight as he took the hoodie and wiggled into it. It covered most of Krobus' body, but even with the hood too much of his face was exposed for comfort.

"Try it with the umbrella," Sebastian suggested, pulling out the matching black shield against the rain. "I think that will do it..." the human stated as he opened the umbrella and stood beneath it to model how it should work.

The shadow bobbed his head in agreement, "Yes. This will do nicely." Krobus headed toward Sebastian's bed and climbed upon it, then the adjacent bookshelf to reach the window. "I will leave this way, so the other humans in your household do not see me," he told Sebastian. "I do not want to encounter the one called 'Maru' and her flying drone."

Sebastian exhaled sharply in amusement, "Sure thing." The man unlatched the window for Krobus and stuck the umbrella through ahead of the shadow, opening it so that it blocked the light well ahead of time."

The creature smiled at the human, "I am glad you contacted me," he told Sebastian. Then, somewhat bashfully, he added, "I was afraid I had done something to scare you away..."

Sighing, the young man denied the statement, "Nah, my mom just told me you weren't real and I had to start hanging out with 'real people,'" Sebastian explained sadly. "Sam's great, but I didn't ever forget you, Krobus. If that other shadow creature had not appeared at Violet's farm that night, I might not have thought to try," he confessed.

"Then I will have to thank my dumb cousin for returning a friend to me," Krobus tittered, his middle section jiggling. "Stop by my home in the sewers anytime you like!"

Sebastian bid his supernatural friend good-bye, "Feel free to swing by anytime, as long as my family isn't around to find you in here."

Krobus nodded to signal his gratitude, then pulled himself up out of the house and into the outdoors. "Good-bye, Nelir! I hope to see you again soon."

* * *

Violet was heading to The Stardrop Saloon when she heard the music spilling out the open window of Sam's bedroom. As she got closer, she spied Sam with his red guitar and Sebastian standing in front of a synth. The farmer knocked on the frame of the window to announce her presence and poked her head inside, "Hey, guys! Having a jam session?" she asked, hoping it wasn't too much of an intrusion. Without pause, the blond looked up and jutted his chin toward the front door. "Yeah, we're just finishing up, come on in!"

The floral-haired woman went around to the front door and let herself into the house. It was easy to find Sam's room by following the sound of the guitar as the musician continued to play. Violet opened the door and stood patiently near the large bookcase until the two were done. Sebastian looked up at Violet and gave her a quick smile before he focused back on the keys at his fingertips. Sam clearly had a taste for music, judging from the second guitar on the stand near his bed and the drum set along the shortest wall of his room. It was nice to learn about her new friends' interests and hobbies. There was a small desk in the corner, near the foot of Sam's bed.

Sam signaled the end of the song with a few lingering chords, as the sounds of Sebastian's synth faded out simultaneously. "Hey, Violet!" the blond greeted her. He seemed to be in an especially great mood after he and Shane's victory over them the night before. "We're trying to start a band, but we still don't know what kind of music to make. There's too many possibilities."

Sebastian sighed, "Just _anything_ but country, please, Sam..." he begged. There were bags under his eyes that suggested he did not sleep much the night before. Violet wondered if it had anything to do with his rendezvous with the mysterious stranger.

"Say, Violet... what kind of music do you like?" Sam asked, hoping to get some direction from their mutual friend.

The farmer grimaced, "I like a little bit of everything," she confessed, whipping out her phone. "And I'm not just saying that, you can check if you doubt me."

Sam, always eager to learn about a person's musical tastes, grabbed the phone eagerly. He cackled, "Dude, you're like schizo with your music. OSTs, rock, EDM, musicals, pop... Half of these aren't even in English!" Just for fun, the blond picked a song at random and played it. Several male voices immediately began to harmonize, _Now you all know, the bards and their songs..._ "What is this?"

"Clearly, Van Canto is a German a cappella metal band full of nerds," Violet replied sarcastically, taking back her phone and pausing the song before Sam got too much information about her based on her musical preferences. She laughed. "In any case, if you want to be the star, Sam, go for some experimental noise rock and wail on that electric guitar of yours," Violet recommended.

"Hey, you know what? That's exactly the kind of style I've been thinking about..." the aspiring musician agreed, though Violet had a feeling he was going to say that no matter what she chose. "For the band," he clarified. The guitarist turned to his best friend, who continued to play quietly on the synth in front of him. Violet recognized it at the snippet of "The Bard's Song" that Sam just played off of her phone. She was impressed he picked it up that quickly. "What do you say, Sebastian?" Sam asked, nudging the synth player with his elbow gently. He made his proposal. "Should we do this?"

Sebastian sighed, knowing that he was instrumental to Sam's dream of becoming a legitimate musician someday. "...Okay," he consented, exhaling deeply.

Sam pumped his arm, proclaiming the moment as the start of the band's greatness. "Thanks for the help, Violet," he said appreciatively to the farmer. The blond wrapped an arm around each of his friends in a casual hug, "With my guitar skills, and Sebastian's wizardry on the synthesizer, we're gonna be a screaming success. I'm convinced of it!" he announced confidently.

He paused, waggling his eyebrows at Violet, "Now I just need to find someone to play the drums..."

The woman shook her head vigorously. "Don't look at me," she told her musically-inclined friends. "I can maybe help with some lyrics if you get stuck." Sam seemed to like that idea and the twinkle in his eyes made Violet cautious. " _Maybe_ ," reiterated firmly.

"I seem to recall that Abigail mentioned some basic drumming skills," Sam mentioned with a slight nod. "So we're probably covered there, but I'll make sure to ask her tonight to be sure," he said with a wink. The guitarist rotated his head to look at Sebastian. "So, Seb, which of us should do the vocals?"

The black-clad man immediately protested, "Hey, I did not agree to sing..."

"Aw, c'mon, buddy," Sam urged his best friend. "People don't care about how well you sing too much when it comes to experimental rock. It's all about how the jam. Isn't that right, Violet?"

While she did not say so aloud, Violet was curious to hear Sebastian's singing voice. "Yeah," she said encouragingly. "You just have to have fun with it."

Sam chortled to himself, pleased about something. That's when Violet knew she had made a terrible mistake. "So, how 'bout we all sing a little song just to prove that it's no big deal and all about just letting loose and having fun, eh?"

Sebastian glared at him, "No."

The blond pouted, "It's super simple, even a kid can do it." Sebastian rolled his eyes, but Sam went on anyway. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G..." He paused, "C'mon, Violet. Help me get this turtle out of his shell," he teased Sebastian indirectly.

"Fine, it's just the ABCs..." Violet relented. "H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P..." the two sang in unison. Now that two of them were against one, Sebastian was shamed into the final few segments.

"Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z," the trio finished, "Now we know our ABCs, next time - " it was at that point the singers were in disagreement on how the song ended and their fell apart, but Sam was still satisfied with the results all the same.

"See?" he coaxed his friends. "That wasn't so bad. Now let's step up a little bit with a round of 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.'"

Sam started, Violet followed, and Sebastian reluctantly joined in when the blond gave him the signal. Violet liked the sound of their voice all together. The best friend duo seemed to both be more in the baritone range, though Sam's voice resonated more comfortably on the higher notes than his counterpart. Even if this was silly, it wasn't as mortifying as she expected when Sam was so hyped about it. That was Sam's trick, wasn't it? Charming everyone around him with that damn, sunny charisma of his. Rude.

The guitarist beamed, "Now, for the ultimate test," he announced dramatically, cranking up the volume on his old stereo, "that no pasty white person can resist..."

"Hey!" Sebastian protested, until he heard the piano notes of the intro ring out.

"Oh, fuck you, Sam!" Violet heckled the blond. "It's Bohemian Rhapsody! That's kryptonite..." she moaned in complaint.

Sam cackled as Violet could not help herself but join in on the vocals straight from the get-go, but Sebastian held back until the lower parts of the real rock opera portion began. "What kind of maniac tries to sing all the parts like that?" he grumbled to Violet incredulously as soon as the parts he cared to sing were over.

"The fun kind!" she informed him between breaths, making distinct and odd faces for each of the voices. Sam, who usually did not sing all the parts, decided now was a good time to start. The synth player looked at his two friends who had now taken opposite sides of the bedroom and appeared to be having a sing-off in a ridiculously over-the-top manner. _They look like idiots,_ Sebastian thought to himself. But that did not stop him from cracking a smile. They were his idiots, after all.


	35. Colorful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet visits the mysterious traveling merchant once again. Shane goes on small apology tour. The farmer goes to the mines for some cave carrots. Robin finishes the upgrade to the farmhouse right before Bex arrives in Pelican Town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, all. Writing the past few days has been like pulling teeth due to some personal stuff. It's not my best work, but I want to keep the momentum that I have going strong. Meet Bex. Enjoy.

When the sun came up on Sunday morning, Robin was already on the property working on what would supposedly be the last day of construction for her house upgrade. Nothing looked different so far, so Violet had to wonder how she expected to wrap up everything all in one day.

As Violet ate breakfast, the farmer felt anxious. Sure, Bex was likely not to arrive until late tonight, but her worlds were about to collide. Would her new friends like Violet's best friend? Would Bex like the people of Pelican Town? "Gah!" Violet exclaimed, unsure of how to handle the mixed emotions. In all likelihood, Violet would need to keep herself busy so she did not fret the rest of the day. It was Sunday, so Talla should be in the Cindersap Forest. Violet had promised to return to the traveling merchant's shop today, so that was definitely on the agenda. Then of course she would make a quick stop at Pierre's to sell her crops. The farmer would have to figure out what to do with the rest of the day from there, but that was the beauty of escaping corporate life.

Probably not fishing or foraging, since that was how she spent the remainder of her time the day before, after she had dropped of Shane's birthday pizza. Sadly, Violet had not been able to present the gift to Shane himself. Marnie said he had gone back to bed to "sleep it off," whatever she meant by that. The farmer was not about to tell a man how to spend his birthday, so she left the pizza on the kitchen table and covered it in an attempt to keep it warmer longer. She spent the rest of the day trying to make some money and make sure she was well-stocked with food before Bex arrived the next day.

When Violet exited her house to start working in her field, Marnie was on her front porch, petting a grateful Bruno. "Good morning, Miss Violet!" the rancher greeted the younger woman in a cheerful tone.

"Morning, Marnie!" Violet replied, mirroring the brunette's tone. "What brings you here today?"

"I came by to ask you a favor, since you're such a kind neighbor," the woman in the emerald and ochre dress informed the farmer. Violet had to wonder what Marnie could possibly want from her. "You see, I'm trying to train my goats to say 'hello...' but they simply won't pay attention to me unless I have their favorite treat, cave carrots!"

"I've never heard of them," Violet admitted. Though she had never heard of trying to train goats to speak, either. "Are they something I can grow for you here on the farm?"

"Oh, no, they grow in the mines," the rancher clarified. Marnie went on, "Since I'm scared of the mines..." the woman's brown eyes glazed over for a moment and Violet had to wonder if the woman was remembering the caves on a day of bad luck, as she had recently experienced. "I thought, well, maybe you would bring me a cave carrot when you have the chance?" she asked hopefully.

Violet recalled her promise to Sebastian about going into the mines only on days when luck was not so bad. She would have to check to see what the oracle predicted for today before committing to the task today, but it would definitely keep her occupied for a while.

Marnie seemed to take Violet's introspection as unwillingness. "There's no pressure..." the brunette assured the pastel-haired woman, "but if you want to, just swing by my house between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM with a cave carrot. You'll make an old girl very happy." Giving Bruno one last scratch behind the ears, Marnie then dismissed herself with a short, "Bye."

"I'll come by as soon as I have one for you." The farmer waved good-bye to her neighbor and immediately went back into the house to watch Welwick's luck forecast. "The spirits are in good humor today. I think you'll have a little extra luck," the cloaked woman shouted dramatically into the camera before the screen went blank. With a prediction like that, going to explore the mines should be just fine, Violet told herself.

On another channel there was a woman teaching the viewers how to make radish salad. Violet was indifferent to the vegetable, but it did not hurt to learn new recipes, so the farmer decided to watch and add the dish to her collection of recipes.

Before leaving, the young woman watered her crops and began examining which of them were ready to harvest when she discovered her strawberry plants now bore beautifully red, ripened fruit. "Yes!" the farmer squealed with delight. "These are gonna be so tasty!" Violet told herself in a sing-song voice, gathering them up in the bottom half of her shirt.

Before leaving the house, Violet went to find Robin, who was tapping away with her hammer at the side of the house. "I'm heading out now," she told the ginger. "Thanks again for working on my house!"

The carpenter smiled and waved, but did not say anything back. It looked like she had headphones in her ears, so Violet figured Robin must be listening to something. Perhaps it was some music to amp her up to finish the project on time, Violet thought with amusement.

The farmer headed south toward the Cindersap Forest, where she found the mysterious traveling merchant, even without the woman's voice ringing out through the trees. Talla's bright eyes lit up in recognition as Violet approached. "Ah, hello, little flower," she greeted Violet, who was unsure why the merchant did not use her name. From the nickname, it was clear Talla remembered the farmer's actual name, but was not using it. "Are you here for business or pleasure?"

"Hopefully... both?" Violet replied awkwardly. Talla's eyebrow arched in a questioning fashion. "It would be a pleasure to do business with you," the young woman clarified, reaching her hand out for the inventory scroll that Talla offered her.

Scanning the list, the pastel-haired woman noticed there was still no rabbit's foot, but something else did catch her eye. "You have fruit tree saplings?" Violet asked quizzically. Talla was selling them for cheaper than Pierre normally did. The farmer did not want to get too excited and drive up the price, but the pomegranate tree enticed her.

"But of course," Talla replied with a little chiming laugh. She hoisted a small tree, neatly rooted in a tied-off sack of soil, onto the ledge of the cart where Violet could see. The leaves were a deep, healthy green and the bark showed no signed of disease or rot. Just from the look, Violet could tell this particular specimen was the pomegranate tree she desired. "I'll take it!" the farmer said eagerly.

Looking back at the scroll, Violet did find something else that at least intrigued her curiosity. "What is this lollipop marked as a 'miner's treat?'" the pastel-haired woman wanted to know.

"Ah, yes," the merchant said, rapping a finger against the wooden frame of her cart. "They were more popular with the workers when the mine was still open," she explained, "but it is a candy full of energy and has the uncanny habit of drawing treasure to the one who consumes it."

 _She talks as if she was there,_ the farmer thought in amusement. _Though they could be helpful for exploring the mines..._ "I'll take two of those as well." Talla nodded and rummaged through a small barrel before handing off the carefully-wrapped candies. The merchant smiled, pleased with the business.

"Do any other items interest you?" she asked with a tilt of her head, causing the little charms on her gold jewelry to tinkle like tiny bells.

"They are all interesting, though I can't say I could make use of them," Violet chuckled. The young woman thought she would try to get to know Talla a bit better. "So what brought you here to Pelican Town to do business of all places? It's a pretty small town."

"It is simply one of my many stops," Talla replied casually. "To do good business one must be like a shark," the merchant explained, "constantly on the move to survive and seek opportunity."

 _Talla likes her fish analogies,_ the farmer thought. Though it made sense. Talla's accent already suggested she was from overseas and being a traveling merchant only increased the likelihood that she spent most of her time on the ocean. "What brought you to Valley, little flower?" the woman asked in return.

"My grandparents left me their farm," Violet explained. "I didn't know until recently what the gift was until I opened the envelope late last year. I wish I had known sooner," the new farmer admitted. "I think I would have come to live here earlier..."

"If it did not happen that way, it was not meant to be," Talla responded solemnly, interlacing her fingers and resting her hands upon the wooden ledge of her colorful cart. For a moment, Violet thought she saw something strange with Talla's pupils, but it must have been a trick of the light. "The goddesses do not make mistakes."

"I - uh - suppose so," Violet replied back as politely as possible. She was not a particularly religious person, but clearly Talla took her faith in the pantheon of goddesses quite seriously.

At the very least, the merchant was not further offended by the farmer's remarks. "The Earth Goddess has granted you authority over a parcel of her nurturing soil," the woman in the sapphire blue dress told Violet. "Put forth your best efforts and prove yourself worthy and she will offer more blessings."

It sounded like a formal way of saying "more work, more money," but Violet was not about to tarnish Talla's sincerity. "You'll be back again next weekend, right?"

"Of course, little flower," Talla assured the farmer, while subtlety indicating with her body language she was finished conversing with Violet for now. "It would be bad for business not to appear when expected by my customers." The teal-haired woman gave a polite little wave before shuttering her cart abruptly. Something was amiss, but Violet had no idea what. After bagging her miner's treats and determining the best method of carrying her new pomegranate sapling home, Violet headed north to decide where to plant her new fruit tree.

* * *

Bex finally finished securing the last of Violet's furniture in the bed of her father's old pick-up truck. Luckily, she had several siblings to help out and they were more than willing to do so when they heard it was for their favorite tía Violeta.

Pulling the rope taught, Rebecca tied off the last of the lines and stood back to admire their work. "Bien hecho, hombres!" she praised her teenage siblings, who were rewarded as promised with use of her car until she returned. "Just don't total it and if any of you use it for a date, get consent, and sanitize afterward. ¿Entienden todos?"

"Yeah, yeah," the eldest of her younger siblings said dismissively, snatching the keys from Bex's open palm. "Tell Violet we say 'hi!'" he added before hopping into the car through the open window and eagerly starting the ignition. Their other two brothers had already claimed shot gun and the back seat. The tires screamed as the boys sped out of the parking lot at high speed.

"¡Oye! Watch it or I'll steal all your girlfriends when I get back!" she shouted after them angrily. Her brothers stuck their heads out the window and cackled, but immediately rounded the corner at the appropriate speed now that they got a rise out of their older sister. "Joke's on you, hermana! Somos solteros!"

Rebecca rolled her dark brown eyes and cracked her warm, walnut-hued knuckles before climbing into the old rust-bucket of a vehicle. "C'mon, baby..." she cooed to the ancient clunker. The engine purred to life, just as it always did, despite its age and general appearance. "¡Joder, sí!" she exclaimed, excited to get on the road. It would take at least ten hours to get to the Gem Sea coast. She whipped out her phone to alert Violet that she was on her way.

***I'll see tu cara bonita later tonight, conejita! ♥ Leaving NuNu now.***

The reply came almost immediately. ***I'm so excited! Drive safely!***

***Claro que si, madre. :P I'll arrive late tonight. Have some of your tasty food ready!***

With that, Bex nestled the phone back into her bag and merged onto the city's main thoroughfare, heading south toward Pelican Town.

* * *

Shane woke up that Sunday morning and decided that he had some apologies to make, especially to Jas. Yes, he felt like the walking dead, but Jas did not deserve to have his words hanging over her like a dark cloud. Rolling out of bed, Shane pulled on some fresh clothes finally picked up a razor to clean up his face for the first time that week. Once he was satisfied, the dark-haired man strode out of his bedroom and into the kitchen, where Marnie and Jas were already eating breakfast. "Good morning, Shane," Marnie greeted her nephew, though her tone suggested the rancher was holding back because of Jas' presence.

The gruff man squat down beside Jas' chair and the little girl returned her godfather's gaze. Her mouth twitched, but she did not speak. "Jas..." Shane began, "I owe you an apology for yesterday," he told her. "It wasn't okay for me to say what I did," the man told Jas, who stared at him with her large, dark eyes. "And I want you to know that I do want to be around - not just for me, but for you, too." His voice cracked slightly, "I promise I'm doing the best I can..."

Shane felt a pressure as Jas leaned over and hugged his head. "Just don't go," she squeaked shakily, gripping the collar of his neon green shirt tightly in her tiny fists. "Mommy and daddy didn't listen," Jas said sadly and Shane could feel her squeeze him more tightly. "But you can't leave, okay?"

The chicken farmer nodded and felt the hot tears running down his cheek. He missed David and Lila, they were the people who made him feel wanted and loved. Shane could not imagine what that must be like for Jas, to hardly remember how great her parents were and how much they loved her. She was too young to remember any of that, so she was stuck with the pain of loss without the warm feeling of love that might have helped heal the wound. Shane could not let her experience that pain again with him. He had to do better for her sake. He promised her parents that he would take care of their daughter. Shane was not about to betray the trust they gave him.

"I promise..." Shane wept and the two clutched at each other for some time before Jas felt secure enough to let go. When the two finally separated, their faces looked quite similar in terms of redness and puffy eyes. Marnie smiled fondly at the two and made sure to load their plates with a little extra bacon.

Breakfast was silent, but no one seemed to mind. When he finished, Shane got up and washed some dishes before excusing himself. "I... gotta go talk to Emily," he informed Marnie quietly. "I owe her an apology."

"Wait, Shane," the brunette said, extending her hand to give him a small container. "You and Emily should share some of the birthday cake. You didn't eat it yesterday, after all. I'm sure she would love to get your opinion."

Shane, remembering the giggles the girl all had yesterday when Emily mentioned a "secret ingredient" narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but accepted the portion of cake regardless. "Sure, aunt Marn..."

Shouting could be heard well before Shane got close enough to knock on the door at 2 Willow Lane. The sun decal above the door seemed to bear a more intense frown than normal as the sounds of arguing spilled out the open window. Shane paused, reconsidering his timing. "Maybe I'll come back later..." he thought aloud, backing slowly away from the door.

The wooden door opened suddenly, and a flustered-looking Emily appeared. Her face softened immediately as her gaze fell on his face, "Oh, hello, Shane," the sapphire-haired woman said. "How are you today?"

Haley stood behind Emily and did not let her off the hook so easily. "Urgghh! I always clean under the cushions! It's YOUR turn this week!" the curly-haired blonde insisted angrily.

Emily looked visibly annoyed, which was something Shane was not sure he had ever seen. "You're being childish, Haley," Emily replied smoothly. "I do the vast majority of the work in this house and you know it. Not to mention my part-time work at Gus' pays the utilities and groceries."

The younger sister was about to offer a rebuttal when she noticed Shane. Her face paled slightly, as if she were embarrassed to be caught doing anything other than smiling. Her peach-colored lips sank into a frown, "Oh, it's just you," she said haughtily, visibly relaxing. Apparently Haley was not threatened by his presence.

"He has a name, you know," Emily said in annoyance.

"Yeah, yeah," Haley replied dismissively. The blue-eyed woman glanced at Shane, "Hey, Shane," she addressed him, proving that she did in fact know his name. "I bet you'll understand my point of view here." Oh, no. The poultry farmer hated getting in the middle of argument, especially between two grown women. It was always a trap.

The older sister sighed, "I'm really sorry to involve you in this, Shane," Emily apologized. "Haley is complaining because I asked her to clean under the cushions."

"It's only because I cleaned them last week!" Haley shot back defensively. The blonde looked at Shane expectantly. "Well?"

Shane groaned audibly. "Look, I don't wanna get into this. I don't live here..." he reasoned, trying to get out of this fresh hell.

"Just say whatever's on your mind," Haley pressed him. "Quit being such a coward!"

That did it for Shane. "Stop whining about having to clean some damn crumbs between the cushions and just do it!" he snapped at the blonde. "Emily works and does most of the other chores around here. Just take some responsibility, Haley. You're a grown-ass adult."

The blonde turned away and although her face contorted in visible frustration, she relented. "Alright, you win," she said, looking down her nose at Shane somehow, despite the fact that she was slightly shorter. Must be those damn heals she wore that made her taller. The stupid things were only made for women to mock shorter men like him and he refused to stoop to their level and wear heeled boots.

"I guess this can be my job every week," Haley said to her sister. "Then there won't be any reason to argue over it."

"Thanks, Shane," Emily told the dark-haired man gratefully. "Other than the... _colorful_ language, that was a great solution."

Shane chuckled to himself, "Well, you know me. Mr. Colorful," he replied sarcastically, but Emily did not laugh at the joke.

"I know you'll get your color back someday," Emily nodded confidently. "I'm glad you're starting to believe that, too." She took his free hand in hers, "We're all here for you, Shane," she told him with a smile.

The poultry farmer was not quite sure why the woman's kind words made him want to cry, but he fought the urge. He was not here to wallow, he was here for an apology. "I'm... sorry about yesterday," Shane began. "I know that probably wasn't the way you wanted to see me when you came by." He held out his hand with the Tupperware full of cake. "Marnie thought it would be a good idea for us to try the cake you made together." Shane was not sure why he felt so strangely asking to eat cake with his friend, but he did.

Emily beamed like a radiant sun. "That's a great idea!" the woman agreed, getting out the necessary plates and utensils. Sitting down, the two agreed to try their first bites together. "It's spicy!" Shane said in awe. "Sweet and spicy!" he reiterated. "What the hell? What did you do, woman?"

His blue-haired companion laughed heartily, "It's hot chili pepper, silly," she informed her friend. "I thought you would like it since you love pepper poppers so much."

"Like it? I love it!" Shane told Emily as he gobbled up the rest of his slice, not bothering to close his mouth as he chewed to cool himself from the spice simultaneously.

"I'm so glad you like it..." Emily continued to laugh at the sight of Shane's messy, but enthusiastic eating. A tiny ray of his beautiful, shining aura started to pierce through the thick fog surrounding her friend. Emily could not help but sigh happily in relief.

* * *

It was pitch-black when Bex began the drive through the mountains to get to Pelican Town. The headlights on the old rust-bucket she drove were not the strongest, so she had to be sure to drive a bit more slowly to be safe. Bex would hate to drive straight off the side of the mountain because she had gone too fast to make a turn with all the furniture piled in the back. The woman wanted to be reunited with her best friend and she could not do that if she were dead. For the most part, there were very few people out on the road on a Sunday night from the beginning. The few vehicles Rebecca passed were going the opposite direction anyway. As the moon rose higher in the sky, its light made visibility much better and Bex began to relax a bit. She loathed driving, but it was the only way to get to Violet while all this stuff. The things she did for love...

Bex heard the engine of a motorcycle nearby, but could not see it. It alarmed her that the sound grew louder and seemed to be coming from in front of her, not behind. Suddenly, Bex slammed on the breaks and slapped her hand on the horn. The old truck screamed as the woman cursed the motorcyclist, "¡Oye, pendejo!" she called to get their attention. "Don't go driving at night when your damn tail lights are out! I could have killed you!" she called after the rider, who sped off to escape her wrath. As much as Rebecca wanted, she knew it would be dangerous to pursue the motorcyclist and she doubted the old truck could give chase. Muttering Spanglish curses, Bex spent the rest of the drive on edge and annoyed, but as she spied the sign for Pelican Town her mood began to sway in the other direction.

Taking the exit, there was a small and seemingly rarely-used road that fed into a small tunnel. Bex slowed the truck down to a crawling pace once she exited the other side. The woman was glad she did, because from the description, this appeared to be the place Violet said they should meet. The woman pawed at the contents of her bag until she found her phone and held the "1" to call Violet. "Hey, conejita!" she shouted, "¡Estoy aquí! Come get me. This place gives me the creeps. I feel like some loco is going to jump out of the trees with a clown mask and a cleaver and you know I don't wanna go to jail, amiga."

"BEX!" Violet shrieked with delight, running up to her best friend and practically bowling her over with a hug. The height difference always made their embraces look a bit silly, but Violet did not mind looking like a dwarf next to her best friend. The new farmer looked her visitor over. "Your hair!" she gasped, noticing distinct shades of pink and green.

Rebecca flashed a toothy grin, "Oh, wait till you see it in better light," the bilingual woman replied. "It's my latest masterpiece." Grabbing a few essentials, the two decided to wait until morning to unload all the heavy things. "Toma esto..." Bex ordered, handing a large bag to Violet. The shorter woman shouldered the bag and smiled.

"I think you're going to love what I made you!" Violet said in a singsong voice.

"You know I hate it when you keep me guessing," Bex warned.

"It's one of your favorites..." the farmer responded, adding a detail at a time to appease her best friend. “It's a Thai dish..."

"¡Puta! You made Tom Kha?"

Violet burst out laughing. "Just the way you like it. Extra spicy." The farmer struggled to keep pace with her friend after that point, as Bex's longer legs and extended stride covered far more ground than Violet. "Hey, you can't get in without me!" the pastel-haired woman complained.

"Mentirosa," Bex shot back. "You probably didn't lock your door because you were just coming out to get me. When are you ever gonna be smart, chica?" To prove her point, the walnut-toned woman outpaced her pale friend considerably and hopped onto the porch to open the front door. "Exhibit A..."

Violet smirked, "That's my neighbor's house," she lied, trying to get a rise out of her best friend.

Bex called her bluff, flipping her off before entering the house. "I can smell the Tom Kha, bitch. Don't lie to me about our date night meal," she cackled, remembering when she had asked an oblivious Violet out once in high school after confessing her love in a round-about manner. Clearly it didn't work out, as Violet was apparently still in the dark about the whole affair. Bex had been crushed at the time, but looking back now she could not help but laugh. Throwing down her bag, Bex sat down in the seat with the soup already served and steaming delectably in its bowl and Violet took her place on the opposite side of the table.

Now that there was proper light, Violet could see that her best friend's hair was in a high side ponytail with the base a deep shade of bubblegum pink and the cascade of curly hair a bright lime green. "How did you manage that?"

"It took a lot of planning, effort, and dye," Bex replied, wrapping her fingers in the ponytail. "And it looks hilarious when my hair isn't up, but it's all worth it for this look." The soup was still steaming when Violet's city friend shoved a spoonful in her mouth, "Oh, fuck, Vi..." she crowed. “This is la sopa mas deliciosa..."

The pastel-haired woman grinned, "I'm glad I haven't lost my touch."

Once Bex was not so desperately hungry, she put down her spoon for a moment and rested her elbows on the table to prop up her head. "Now tell me everything!"


	36. Travesura (Mischief)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bex meets a few of the villagers and makes plans for the evening before the Flower Dance.

Even after staying up most of the night, Violet still woke up at her usual hour, much to her best friend's disgust. Bex helped to water the field at first, but eventually grew bored of the process and relinquished her duties back to the farmer. Afterward, Violet and Rebecca sat in the shade of the pine grove making tappers while they continued to catch up from the night before. "I can't believe you had a man sleep over twice and didn't devour that snack right then and there," Bex complained. "You never gave yourself a proper rebound relationship after Kyle and you oughtta treat yourself."

Knowing her best friend's skepticism, the farmer had not specified that the potential intruder to her home had not been human. And, despite her complaints, Violet could tell that Bex was at least grateful that Sebastian had stayed over to make sure the mystery "person" did not return. "You know I don't want to use someone like that," the pastel-haired woman chided her friend, who struggled to keep the pieces of the tapper together before she could secure them.

"It's not using someone if everyone knows what's going on up-front..." Bex chided, setting down the slivers of wood, giving up on the process. "You two are big kids who can make adult decisions."

Violet rolled her dark blue eyes, "Could you just drop it? I don't want to fuck things up in my new town this early..."

"Nah, you'll just fuck 'im later," she badgered her friend with an impish grin. Violet put down her finished tapper and glared at Bex, but the taller woman was not intimidated in the slightest. "Violet wants the D!" she shouted with a cackle. "Oh, Sebastián!" she moaned like the female lead in a telenovela, holding herself with her arms crossing her chest and hugging her shoulders suggestively. The farmer swatted at Rebecca, who dodged by rolling away.

"I do not! He's just cute and fun to be around, okay?" Violet protested, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment.

"You ladies talking about me?"

The women froze and looked in the direction of the voice. It was Alex with Dusty at his heels. While the old dog immediately abandoned the humans to go find his canine companion, the jock approached the duo sporting a cocky grin. "You're not my typical type, but that doesn't mean-"

"IT'S NOT YOU, ALEX!" Violet insisted, somehow even more red now that she knew a third party had overheard at least part of their private conversation. "And don't listen to Bex, she's _exaggerating_ things," the shortest among them insisted, shooting the taller woman a look.

Alex shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever," he said, though from his tone he did not sound convinced. The man paused, noticing that Bex was about his height, but did not comment on it. "I came here to ask a favor," the spiky-haired brunet said, pulling a folded piece of paper out from his back pocket, offering it to Violet. "Maru gave me this workout routine to help me go pro," he explained. "And part of that is doing a lot more cardio." Violet took the paper and examined it more closely. It was a map of the town with Maru's suggested figure-eight path marked in red ink. There were also notes scrawled throughout the margins on which days to run, when to rotate the direction of the route, etc.

"All the good routes involve running through your property here," Alex continued. "I wanted to make sure that was okay..." Violet looked more closely at the route, which started at Alex's house up the northern path toward the mountains and around the carpentry shop, then east toward her farm, passed the bus stop toward town, across the bridge toward Joja Mart, down to the museum, heading west along River Lane passed Marnie's ranch, and back up to Violet's farm to head back into town via the bus stop path.

"Wow, Maru's really got you working," Violet laughed, though she was not surprised. Maru seemed to be the kind to do things thoroughly or not at all. "I'll make sure there are clear paths for you," the farmer promised. "We would hate for the star of Pelican Town to twist an ankle, after all."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise, "You mean you're cool with it?" he asked to clarify.

Violet shrugged, "Sure, why not." She glanced down at the map again, "As Maru so clearly demonstrates, my farm is sort of necessary for a proper circuit." After consideration, the farmer said, "It's a shame Zach isn't here. He could show you proper technique for safe running, especially on different terrains and inclines."

"Don't let him know you said that," Bex teased, ribbing her friend with her elbow, which was an actual feat with their height difference. "He'll never let you forget that you complimented him.

This got the athlete's curiosity. "Who's Zach? An ex-boyfriend from the big city?"

The farmer looked disgusted at the idea, "No, my older brother," she gagged. "He's a pain in the ass, but he's proven himself useful in a pinch." She handed the map back to Alex, rolling her eyes, "Or when it comes to running. He's a junkie, I swear."

"I'll bet I'm still faster," Alex said, challenging a person who was not even present.

Violet chuckled, "I by _no_ _means_ intend to brag on my obnoxious brother," the pastel-haired woman told her neighbor, "but while you could probably out-lift him, Zach would run circles around you."

"No way..." the brunet furrowed his brow and looked at Violet skeptically.

"Eso es la verdad, my hair gel-loving friend," Bex agreed with the farmer, resting her arm on Violet's shoulder.

The blue-eyed woman smiled teasingly at Alex, "Better start training now," she warned. "Zach's going to visit sometime soon and I would hate for you to embarrass yourself when you challenge him."

Alex made a face that Violet could not quite interpret. Then, wordlessly, the brunet man stripped off his letter jacket and flung it onto a low-hanging tree branch as he sprang into action. Alex immediately sprinted back toward town, leaving Dusty to spend his time at a more leisurely place on the farm with Bruno.

The two women chortled as he disappeared, "He's so easy to mess with. ¡Me encanta!" Bex cackled heartily. "And if la mujers in this town are as conventionally attractive as Alex de la Cabeza Hueca," she said, indicating Alex's figure shrinking in the distance, "I might have to move here myself."

Violet laughed at her friend calling her neighbor what roughly translated to "Alex the Meathead," but the farmer knew her friend would never leave the high energy of city life. Bex thrived off that kind of environment. Violet called her friend's bluff, gesturing to the large plot of land. "Start picking out your corner of the farm."

Bex's white teeth practically glowed against her warm brown skin. "Oh, shit! ¿De verdad?"

It was then that Violet realized the little red flag on her mailbox was up. "Oh, hey..." the farmer smiled, "It's a salad recipe from Emily."

"It's like tu vecinos are dropping hints of what they want you to grow on la granja," Bex teased, knowing fully well that she would do the same if she lived nearby. "Speaking of which, I saw those beautiful fresas rojas..."

Violet was excited to try them. "Oh, I totally forgot!" the pastel-haired woman admitted. "I wanted to make something with those strawberries to bring to the Flower Dance this week. Help me decide!" the farmer ordered, dragging her friend back inside the house to her new kitchen.

"Chica, you know I'm down for anything as long as I get to taste test..."

* * *

After some debate, the two decided on something they once promised they would make together, but never actually made: strawberry cheesecake chimichangas. After the first test batch, no other ideas seemed worthy of the occasion. "Why is this so good?" Violet moaned through a mouthful of molten cheesecake filling, chocolate, and strawberry slices.

"Because mi madre is a culinary genius," Bex replied in a similar tone, popping the last bite into her mouth. They had used Rebecca's mother's version of the recipe. "How dare you tease me with these, knowing I can't eat any more of them until the baile."

Violet smirked at her best friend, "You'll live, Bex," she assured the woman with a sympathetic pat. "So what do you want to do the rest of the day?" the farmer asked her guest.

"Let's explore your new town!" Bex proposed with a smirk that made Violet suspicious of the woman's intentions. Her tall friend was definitely up to something.

Sadly, Leah was not home when they passed her little cottage on the way into Pelican Town. But Violet did spy Haley, taking her landscape photos like she was the week prior. "She was the head cheerleader in high-school, wasn't she?" Bex laughed, though more nervously than to make fun of the blonde.

"You think she's hot, don't you?" Violet smiled, satisfied that she might have to opportunity to embarrass Bex the way she had with Alex around, "I'll admit Haley and I haven't really hit it off, but she's better than she was when I first met her."

"I appreciate someone with a good skin and hair care routine," Bex said, only half-admitting the truth. If Haley was any indication of the local women's average appearance, the lesbian was in danger.

Violet realized as they approached that Haley was not alone. Leah was standing on the opposite side of the blonde and the two appeared to be in an intense argument. "Maybe... we should come back later," the farmer proposed, tilting her head toward town.

Bex could not take her eyes off of the pair. Sure, Haley was pretty but the ginger was breath-taking. "Dios mio," she whispered. "I'm in trouble..." The pastel-haired woman noticed the expression on Bex's face and smiled knowingly. It was not often that the cosmetologist was lost for words and this would be excellent payback for the incident with Alex.

"On second thought, it would be irresponsible to not intervene!" Violet insisted, making a bee line for Leah and Haley. Before Bex snapped out of her trance, her best friend was already upon the other pair. "Violet, no!" her lime green ponytail swaying behind her as she ran to stop her friend. "Bad Violet!"

The bilingual woman did her best to regain her composure once the others were in ear-shot however. "Hola..." Bex said in introduction, "I'm Bex, Violet's bestie from NuNu."

"I'm Leah," the ginger said with a smile, "It's nice to finally meet you." She rocked that long braid. "I've heard you're an artist, too," Leah continued, trying to start a conversation.

Bex corrected her slouching posture at the comment, "More in the hair and make-up department," the visitor admitted, swishing her bright green hair hanging from the side of her head in emphasis. "I hear you do sculptures and sketches." The run-down Violet had given her best friend of all her new neighbors was proving useful.

Leah's grin widened, "Yeah, I'd be happy to show them to you sometime to get your opinion."

"¡Si, por favor! I'd like that."

The two began to discuss art show logistics, as Violet mentioned to Leah that Bex was the friend with experience in planning events of that nature. The two decided fall would be the best season for tourists who want to see Stardew Valley in all its autumnal beauty when they came for the art show. Bex was giving Leah a run-down of all that would need to be done on Leah's end when Haley, who had been silent this entire time, spoke up. "You're the 'Bex Hair' girl, aren't you?"

"Latinx Bex," the woman admitted, somewhat stunned. "You watch my channel?" clearly flattered and surprised by the recognition in such a small town.

Haley hesitated, "Occasionally..." the blonde said, as if trying to play it cool. "I'm not really into the... neon hair colors," the blonde confessed, "but the make-up tutorials are really helpful."

"I see you're wearing the Cutie Coral lipstick I recommended for mujeres rubias like yourself," Bex noticed. "It complements your look well."

Haley blushed at the compliment, "Thanks..." It was not often people recognized the effort she put into her appearance. While the blonde did not know much about Spanish, she recognized the Spanish for "blondes" that the cosmetologist used often. "Would you be willing to give me a few tips? The fashion scene is kind of stale out here in the Valley..."

Rebecca's dark eyes sparkled with delight, "I'll do you one better!" the woman with two-toned hair proclaimed. "I'll going to do hair and make-up for the Flower Dance and you can be my assistant. I'll teach you!"

Haley smiled so genuinely, it surprised Violet. "Really?" the blonde gasped in disbelief. "Oh my gosh, you're the best!" She practically leap upon Rebecca in a hug and although Haley was taller than Violet, the visitor still dwarfed the blonde. While Bex preferred to be the one giving out the hugs, she did not seem to mind such affection from a fan.

"We're going to start bright and early!" Bex warned Haley. "Violet, we may need to even start some prep the night before depending on how many people want in on the fun," she told her best friend. "Can we use your place to host a ladies' night before the Flower Dance?"

Violet blinked, completely caught off-guard by the proposal. While she did have more space and a fully functional kitchen and she could theoretically host whoever wanted to attend, part of her was terrified by the idea. But then again, Rebecca always did have a way of getting Violet out of her comfort zone and getting her through safely to the other side.

"Would you be interested in something like that, Leah?" Violet asked the ginger, trying to gauge interest of someone else in town.

Leah pondered a moment, tapping a slender finger to her chin. "You know, I've been so focused on my work since I moved here that I haven't really taken the time to get to know everyone all that well," she admitted sheepishly. "I'm not usually into that kind of stuff, but it might be fun to hang out with all the other women our age in town." She chuckled, "As long as we keep the wine and snacks going," she half-joked.

The farmer braced herself, knowing that this may end disastrously. The pastel-haired farmer took a deep breath. "O-okay, sure," Violet consented, placing her faith in Bex's abilities.

"Oh my gosh, seriously?" Haley's large eyes grew even wider. After a brief discussion between the cosmetologist and the local fashionista on logistics, the blonde excused herself. "I'll organize everything, just make sure the space and your stuff are all ready," the blonde assured Bex and Violet as she rushed off, her bright blue dress trailing behind her.

"So... I guess I'll see you all tomorrow night, then?" Leah said with a smirk. Before the ginger parted ways with the two newcomers to head off to Pierre's, she winked and added, "I'll bring some snacks and a bottle of wine!"

Not taking her eyes off of Leah as she walked east toward town, she reached for Violet and pulled her in close, "Was Leah she winking at me, conejita? Please tell me that was a flirty wink directed at me..."

Violet did not even attempt to conceal her amusement, "I think it was a joke about her love of fruit wines," she informed her best friend, who looked a bit crestfallen once she processed the farmer's words.

"You're no fun," Bex complained, purposefully getting her long cascade of hair into Violet's face.

"C'mon," the farmer insisted. "There are other things to see in town besides your waifu," Violet teased Rebecca. "How about I show you the beach?"

"I do like la playa," Rebecca admitted through a slight pout.

* * *

On the way, Violet indicated which people lived in the houses they passed. "When you said this was a small town, I had no idea you meant _this_ small," Bex laughed. "You already know everyone's names. That's loco!"

Violet lead Bex across the old stone bridge toward the beach. "This place has everything," the city dweller said in both awe and annoyance. Bex was never going to get Violet to move back to NuNu City at this rate. Her obsidian eyes focused on the blond man in a denim jacket standing near the shore. "Who's the saiyan?" Bex asked, referring to the skater's impossible hairstyle.

The shorter woman shook slightly with laughter, "That's Sam," Violet told her friend. "And believe or not, his hair is naturally that way."

"That's mierda," Rebecca snapped in disbelief, "His secret is probably something more subtle," she muttered to herself. "Completely undetectable to all except those who know their hair products..." her dark eyes narrowed as they approached, as if trying to activate a superpower that would reveal Sam's hair care routine. Violet laughed and took her friend's hand to pull her along.

"Hey, Sam!" the farmer called out to her blond neighbor. "How's it going?"

"Hello Violet. Nice day, isn't it?" he replied casually, not taking his eyes off Vincent. The small boy sat in the sand closer to the water line, digging holes in the sand. "I'm just keeping an eye on my little brother," he explained, "It's good for him to get some fresh air on a day like this."

Violet found it endearing how much Sam doted on his little brother. Apparently Bex did, too. "¡Qué buen hermano mayor!" the tall woman said approvingly. "You don't get a lot of those anymore."

The blond turned their way in surprise. "Oh, hey... You have a friend with you," Sam observed with embarrassment. He did not seem at all thrown off by her height, which seemed to both please and disappoint Bex. "You must the famous best friend from NuNu!"

"Din dan! You guessed correctly, Goku," Rebecca chuckled, her dark eyes glinting mischievously as she hovered around Sam's head without actually touching him. Sam was confused by Bex's behavior until Violet explained.

"She's didn't believe me when I told her your hair is naturally that way."

Sam cackled with delight, "As I tell all the ladies, you're welcome to touch it if you need proof, but it'll cost you."

Bex stood at her full height, which was slightly taller than Sam's. "Oh, cariño," she sighed and scooped Violet into a one-sided hug, "You are barking up the wrong tree. I swing for the ladies, too."

Violet intervened, "Bex, Sam has a girlfriend," the shorter woman clarified. "He's all talk because of how _devoted he is to Abigail_ ," the farmer informed her best friend, also warning Bex that Abigail was taken for when she introduced them later. "He's an equal opportunity flirt. Just for fun."

The visitor's eyes lit up, "Ah, un coqueteo!" she responded coyly, releasing Violet and standing close to Sam to give him a bit of a taste of his own medicine. "You better watch yourself or I might try to steal this Abigail of yours," the woman with two-toned hair teased with a wink of her deep brown eyes.

Sam grimaced with a nervous laugh. "Duly noted." The blond ground the conversation to a halt as he cleared his throat to indicate Vincent's approach to the trio. The little boy looked up at his brother, wide-eyed and brimming with tears, "Sam...?" he whimpered. "Is dad ever going to come home?"

The older brother hesitated, unsure of what words would best comfort Vincent. "Of course, Vince. Dad's going to come back as soon as he possibly can," he finally assured Vincent.

"But I heard some grown-ups saying that... that all of our troops are getting shot to pieces." _Fuck, some people around here really need to pay more attention to who's around when they talk like that,_ Violet thought angrily. She could see from the flash in Bex's eyes that she felt the same way.

Sam's face looked appalled. "Don't believe everything you hear!" he ordered his little brother. He tried a secondary approach as well. "Don't you remember how strong Dad is?" Sam reminded Vincent. "He'd never let a pathetic Gotoro grunt get him like that! Don't you worry!"

The skater averted Vincent's gaze for a moment before he knelt down and placed his hands on Vincent's tiny shoulders. "And always remember that Mom and I are here to play with you if you ever feel lonely."

Vincent seemed more like his cheerful self after hearing his big brother's words, "Okay!" he said, as if Sam's words were all the truth he required. The small boy jumped, finally noticing Violet and Rebecca. Vincent leaned his head back to look up at Bex, eyes wide, "You're a tall lady!" he said with a smile. "Will you play with me?"

Rebecca nodded with an amused laugh, "Sure, niño," the woman replied as kid in the striped shirt took Bex's hand to lead her to his sandcastle. "My name's Vincent, not neen-yo." Violet could hear the sound of her best friend's chuckle as she explained the concept of the Spanish language to Sam's little brother.

"I warn you now," the farmer began, leaning in to whisper, "that Bex might teach Vincent some Spanish." Upon seeing Sam's indifferent shrug, she added, "And she _loves_ teaching children inappropriate phrases."

"My mom would flip," the blond said with a low voice. Sam smiled, but Violet noticed the expression did not reach his eyes. "Our dad used to take us to the beach on sunny days like this..." he shared quietly, barely audible above the sounds of the incoming surf.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Sam..." Violet whispered back, not sure of what else to say to offer support for her friend. She knew that Sam and Vincent's dad was off fighting in the war, but not much else about him.

"To be honest, I have no idea if my old man will come back..." her friend confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We've all read the reports. Our soldiers are falling by the thousands." Violet was speechless, but Sam's face contorted with all the signs of conflicting emotions and he threw up his hands in defeat, "But what am I going to say to Vincent?"

Violet sighed heavily, but expressed her honest opinion. "You did the right thing," the farmer told the blond. "Kids should have hope. It's the adults' job to do the worrying."

Sam nodded slowly and Violet hope she validated his decision. "Yeah..." the spiky-haired man agreed, "kids should play and have fun while they still have the chance." The young woman noticed a single tear rolling down his cheek before he wiped it away on his tattered denim sleeve. Then, in an obvious attempt to change the subject, Sam added, "Hey, did I tell you the band's starting to come together?"

"Really? That's awesome!" Violet was more than willing to let Sam finish the conversation about his father's uncertain fate on his own accord.

"Yeah! It turns out Abigail's a pretty good drummer. And Sebastian seemed to really want her in the band..." Sam informed Violet. "Probably to help them reconnect as friends with their big fight, but still..."

"¡Esa perra! Abigail can't have mi conejita's boy toy, too!" Bex, who had clearly overheard only part of Sam said, shouted back to the duo.

Violet's cheeks turned rosy, but silently prayed that Sam would not understand her best friend's smattering of Spanish interspersed into her objection. Collecting herself, Violet shot back a loud warning. " _LANGUAGE_ , Bex!" the farmer warned, despite Rebecca's Spanish insults. She did not want Jodi upset with her for all of Vincent's new, interesting words.

Although Bex knew what her friend meant, she purposefully acted as if Violet wanted her to repeat everything in English, "I'm offended you don't want me speaking in my native tongue," she scolded playfully. "What I said was, 'That b-!'" Violet slammed into the taller woman, toppling them both into the sand, and silenced Bex with a palm over her mouth.

Sam fell onto the sand, roaring with laughter. "Oh, snap," he wheezed through his laughter, "Why does this look so familiar?" The blond was referring to when Sebastian tried to stop Sam from telling the story of his 21st birthday the previous Friday. Violet recognized the sentiment and removed herself from Bex's person.

"I didn't want her teaching Vincent words that would get him in _trouble_ ," the pastel-haired woman said, shooting her friend a pointed look, and brushing off the sand from her clothing. Bex also rose to her feet and backed away from her violent friend in a overly dramatic manner. Violet knew her excuse likely did not throw Sam off the scent that she was trying to hide something, but it was the best she could come up with in the moment. To make sure no one asked her, she pretended to be intently interested on Vincent's sandcastle.

Bex, now behind Violet, could tell from the short-lived look on her friend's face that this guy was one she could work with for her master plan on the day of the Flower Dance. When Bex was sure Violet was not looking, she got Sam's attention and took out her phone and mimed texting. "What's your number?" she mouthed, sure to overemphasize the words.

Sam seemed to understand and lobbed his phone to her. Bex caught it deftly in her hand, and glanced at Violet to make sure her friend had not noticed. The pastel-haired woman was still playing with Vincent a few feet away and giving him glowing reviews on his sandcastle. The bilingual woman entered her number and tossed the phone back to its owner.

***Hey, this is Sam. I assume you want in on Operation: Crab Cake?***

***Sounds delicious. I'm all about that cake. ;)***

The blond visibly blushed pink, not used to someone returning his flirtatious phrases with innuendo. Bex suppressed a cackle under her walnut-hued hand. She enjoyed teasing boys, even if she was not attracted to them. This trip was going to be so much fun.

* * *

"You are not allowed near any more of my new friends unless you can behave yourself," Violet scolded as the two left the beach. Of course it was in front of the guys that Bex could not keep quiet. The guys were more likely to blab than Leah and Haley - well, Leah, anyway.

"I forgot to ask, Vi," Bex said, changing the subject back to the person who interested her most thus far. "What were Leah and Haley fighting about earlier in the forest?"

Violet sighed, "Something about different art mediums and their place in the art world," the farmer said with a sigh. "It seemed like a mess, so I think it's good we showed up," Violet went on. "They were both looking for an out, but neither of them wanted to back down."

 _So nothing that would be useful_ , Bex thought. "Why are there so many gorgeous people in this town?" Bex complained loudly. The farmer looked up in alarm to wonder who else her best friend was going to accost today. It was Elliott standing on the stone bridge, looking into the river pensively. His amber eyes fixed on Violet and Bex.

"Hello, miss," he introduced himself politely, "You must be the friend Violet speaks of so highly. I am Elliott." He offered his hand to take Rebecca's and gave hers a peck.

"Where do you find these people, Vi?!" Bex demanded, pointing a finger at the physical embodiment of the men on her mother's romance novelas. The farmer simply shrugged and let her friend flounder for a bit. After a moment Rebecca regained her composure and turned to face Elliott. She immediately lost her cool. "¡Dios mio! Your hair is perfect!"

Elliott did not shrink away from the compliment and voiced his appreciation for the notice. "Thank you," he replied, sounding quite proud of himself. "I do try to keep it tidy."

Without asking, Bex started running her fingers through the man's hair. For a moment, Elliott became catatonic. It was the first time Bex had ever witnessed the poet at a loss for words.

"Sorry, hair is her life," Violet apologized on her friend's behalf. "This is my friend Rebecca, but she goes by 'Bex.'"

"Pomegranate," Rebecca whispered, recognizing the scent of Elliott's shampoo, then letting the silky locks slip from her fingertips. "You use the good stuff, hermoso," she chuckled knowingly. Who knew that some man living in this tiny town would be aware of top-of-the-line hair care products? He must be from a rich family.

Elliott finally found his tongue again. "I cannot find anything else that does my hair justice," the poet replied, perhaps a little vainly. His eye brows rose sharply, "Please excuse me, ladies," Elliott said regretfully. "I have been suddenly struck by a bolt of inspiration and I cannot let this gift from the muses escape me." Elliott gently pushed passed the two women and trotted back to his seaside cabin with a graceful, yet hurried gait. His movement reminded Violet of a well-bred show horse.

The two women giggled as he disappeared, "Gorgeous and quirky - the lot of them," Violet admitted. "It makes it easy to feel at home. The quirkiness, I mean," the shorted of the two clarified. "The pretty faces kind of intimidate a normie like me," Violet said, making fun of herself.

Rebecca swatted at Violet, "Don't say that!" she ordered. "Tu tambien eres hermosa, mi conejita," Bex cooed adoringly, ruining the moment by leaning her upper body onto Violet's head.

Violet easily slid out of her friend's grasp, but smiled weakly. "I don't think I deserve a friend like you sometimes," the farmer admitted. "But I'm always glad you stick around."

Bex smiled noticing the sincerity in her best friend's voice. Now if only she could build up that confidence... The woman took Violet under her arm in a one-sided hug as she directed them back toward the farmhouse. "Vamos a casa, chica," the woman proposed. "I think I've probably embarrassed you enough today, eh?"

The shorter woman nodded in accord, "Yeah, let's go home..."


	37. Ladies' Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally the night before the Flower Dance and the single ladies of Pelican Town have gathered at the farmhouse to let loose and get ready for the festivities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, I'm doing my best to stick to canon in terms of personally, but I agree with lots of players that there are too many red-heads in the game and that Maru's hair should have been left more natural. So the hair styles are heavily inspired by portrait mods and/or beta versions of character models. I saw this brunette Penny a couple of months ago. She's adorable and now I can't un-see it: https://www.reddit.com/r/StardewValley/comments/hbda3k/i_dig_this_brunette_penny_so_much_more_lol/

Violet let Bex sleep in that morning, since she was probably going to need all the energy she could get for the evening ahead. Unlike the night before, the two had gone to bed relatively early, but Rebecca had been receiving texts from co-workers most of the evening asking for advice on clients. Violet tried to convince her she should not have to work on her days off, but Bex insisted these were important. The farmer respected her best friends' passions, but Violet often wondered how Bex managed all that she did without needing to sit and recover for days and days like she did. Extroverts...

So, the farmer performed her usual morning ritual of watering, harvesting, and cleaning the crops ready for consumption. Today it was a nice bundle of green beans. Sticking her head into the house, Violet did not see Bex up and about and assumed her friend would probably sleep a while. Perhaps she could just run to Pierre's to sell her excess inventory quickly? It would be kinder to let Bex sleep in, after all. _It's just a quick run into town,_ Violet reasoned as she shouldered her bag and wrote out a quick note for her best friend, just in case.

As soon as Bex heard the door shut behind Violet, she sprang into action. ***Okay, Goku. Let's get these Dragon Balls rolling. Begin Phase 1.***

* * *

When Violet returned from selling her green beans, she and Bex spent the rest of the day unloading Violet's old furniture from the truck and arranging the house to make it more comfortable for the guests. Luckily, the farmer had both a couch and a futon in addition to the chairs for the kitchen table, so there should be plenty of space to sit throughout the evening. If anyone wanted to stay the night, the futon could fold out for one or two people and there was also the trundle bed. Overall, Violet felt decently prepared to be a host, since Haley informed Bex that morning that all the guest would be bringing food of some variety to share.

It took a while to arrange everything, but the two finally got Violet's boxes unpacked and put away from the original move as well. Now that the farmer had a dresser in which she could put her clothes and several bookcases to house her novels, manga, and comics, keeping things looking neat was much easier.

Bex just finished laying out all the tools of her trade on the coffee table when the knock of the first guests occurred. It was Haley and Emily, which did not surprise Violet in the least, since the blonde seemed to gush over Bex and her vast pool of knowledge as a professional cosmetologist. "Good evening, Violet!" Emily greeted their host, holding out a large casserole dish. "It's dip!" she informed Violet when she saw the farmer's quizzical look. "I had all the ingredients for some survival burger, but I thought this would be more appropriate for a party," the sapphire-haired woman explained. "Where should I put it?"

"Oh, on the table," the hostess offered, indicating the one in the kitchen. Emily laid out the dish and a pre-sliced baguette in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Bex, who had not caught sight of Emily due to Haley's bombardment upon entry, shouted from the living room, "I _love_ that color!"

Emily's warm brown eyes looked over to Rebecca. "Which one?" she asked in a friendly tone.

"Your hair!" Bex replied with a delighted squeal as she approached. "¡A mí me gusta ese tono de zafiro!" Violet had given her best friend a lecture on giving people more personal space after she touched Elliott's hair the day before, so the enthusiastic hair dresser made sure to ask permission this time. "May I touch it? The color is so vibrant! What dye did you use? How often do you have to touch it up?"

The local woman laughed at the barrage of questions and let herself be lead away to sit on the couch. "Your hair is so interesting," Emily opined. "That must take a lot of skill to dye your hair so exactly into different sections without the colors bleeding into one another..." Haley seemed annoyed that the city girl had been distracted by her older sister, but did not say so directly. Instead she simply left the two to their discussion and joined Violet in the kitchen. Her light blue eyes inspected the room, "You keep your place clean," Haley observed. "It's nice. I didn't expect a farmhouse to be so tidy."

Violet laughed nervously, "Oh, this part of the house is new, actually," the farmer confessed. "I haven't had time to mess anything up yet."

The blonde gave Violet an incredulous look. "You lived in this place without a kitchen for nearly an entire season?" she replied in disbelief. "How did you survive?"

She shrugged, "Lots of food that either didn't require cooking or roasting things over the fire for a while," the farmer explained, "but luckily I won't have to do that anymore." Violet could not tell from Haley's expression if the blonde pitied her or was repulsed.

Luckily, another knock at the door interrupted the awkwardness of the conversation, but this person on the other side did not wait to be let inside. "It's me, bitches!" Abigail announced as she burst through the door with large bag of chips under her arm. "And I snagged the strong stuff," she chuckled, waiving a bottle of high-proof alcohol in the air.

"That stuff tastes disgusting," Haley retorted, unhappy with the offering.

"But it gets the job done fast," Abigail replied, completely unfazed by Haley's negative comment as she placed the booze and her bag of chips onto the table.

Leah, who arrived about the same time, entered the house more quietly. "I brought some goat cheese, berries, crackers, and a few bottles of wine..." the ginger said, shrugging the picnic basket that contained the items off her shoulder.

Haley beamed and welcomed Leah in, acting more like a hostess than Violet. "That is _much_ better!" she praised the artist. The well-dressed woman helped Leah unpack the basket and display the food. She gasped, "Strawberry wine? That's one of my favorites!"

The ginger looked surprised, "Oh? I didn't take you as a wine drinker..."

Haley sighed slightly, "Well, piña coladas are my favorite," the woman in the blue dress confessed, fiddling with the matching jewelry around her neck, "but if I can't have one of those, sweet fruit wine is the next best thing." The blonde pulled out a large serving plate and arranged the cheeses, fruit, and crackers in a neat array.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time I need someone to help me finish a bottle." Leah laughed, grabbing one of the bottles she brought by the neck, "But this one's all mine." She pulled the bottle and a corkscrew out of the woven basket and popped the cork off.

"You're going to drink that whole bottle all by yourself?" Haley asked skeptically. She could never have so much of anything that sweet, even her favorite pink cake. However the red-head did not take it the way Haley intended.

"A whole bottle over the course of an entire evening is not bad, you know," Leah informed the blonde defensively. "Besides, this is supposed to be a ladies' night. We're supposed to let a little loose and have fun." For the first time, Leah acknowledge Violet, who had been conversing with Abigail. "Right, Violet?" she prompted their host as she poured herself a glass of the sweet fermented drink.

The farmer, who had been sitting on the floor with Abigail to give Bruno proper belly rubs, turned to face the duo and luckily she had heard enough of the other conversation. "Yeah, if you don't feel comfortable going home at the end of the night, you're welcome to crash here," Violet informed her guests. "Or Bruno and I can walk people home." She leaned over the fluffy dog and buried her face in his neck, "Won't we boy? You'll be the best safety escort ever!"

"See?" Leah held her wine glass with the stem threaded through her middle and ring finger with the chalice resting in her palm, "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go drink over with the less judgmental people."

Haley was stunned, "But I didn't mean it that way..." she said quietly to herself. The loose curls framing her face fell forward as she wrung the skirt of her dress in her hands. "Maybe this was a dumb idea..."

* * *

Penny and Maru were the last to arrive and from the look on the ginger's face Violet thought that the teacher did not want to be there at all. "Welcome, you two," the farmer greeted them in a friendly tone as Bruno barked a welcome of his own. "C'mon in." Maru gave her best friend an assuring smile and the duo entered to the chaos of the farmhouse. There was a quick round of introductions for Bex's sake, as she had heard of everyone from Violet, but wanted to match names to their respective faces.

It did not take long for Rebecca to single out Abigail, however. "Liar! ¡No tiene sentido!" Bex exclaimed, "I see no sign of fading or dying at all! What brujería is this?"

"I dyed it this color when I was sixteen and it hasn't changed since," Abigail insisted, much to the cosmetologist's chagrin. The pale woman slouched on the couch and munching on some potato chips, "It's grown out since then, but it comes out purple now."

"That's not _possible_!" Bex insisted, her frustration building that the other woman would not surrender her secret to perfectly dyed hair. "What was the brand? Can you at least tell me what you used?" the hair dresser demanded pitifully. Bex's desperation was growing exponentially by the second.

Abigail shrugged, "I dunno. I told my mom I wanted to dye my hair purple for my birthday and she handed me an unmarked bottle." Her pink lips tugged back in a toothy grin, "I don't think she realized it wasn't just a phase, though. Otherwise, I don't think she would have let me do it."

Bex caved. "Fine, chica," she relented. "You win this time, but someday I'll get your secret." The walnut-hued woman's obsidian eyes found Maru across the room. "And you!" she shouted, pointing a finger at the overall-clad scientist. "Don't you go trying to tell me that your relaxed hair is natural, too!" she said sarcastically.

Maru blinked behind her ruby glasses in shock as the eyes in the room all looked her way.

Haley gasped in surprise, "You mean that's not how your hair looks like normally?"

"You can tell from that far away?" Maru wondered aloud. Penny glanced at her best friend in shock. How had she not known that? She thought they shared everything, even if Penny did not quite understand all the projects Maru pursued, she at least tried to engage in conversation.

Bex beckoned Maru over with a hand, "Está bien, chica," the hair dresser assured the fellow woman of color. "My eyes are trained for it and most white people don't know shit about it." Rebecca chuckled, motioning for Maru to sit beside her and Penny, unsure of where to go since Maru was now the center of attention, lingered behind the futon were her best friend sat.

"So what's the reason for the relaxer?" Bex questioned casually, trying her best to make it a friendly inquiry rather than an accusation of any sort. "You trying to tame the frizz?" Rebecca laughed. Luckily, Maru seemed to understand that the visitor did not mean any harm by the personal questions.

"I've found that professionally, women of color who do not make an effort to conform to certain standards of appearance tend to encounter more barriers to their desired success than those that do," Maru responded in a monotone voice, as if from rote memory. "I suppose at this point, I'm just used to it."

Bex's dark eyes lit up in simultaneous disappointment and understanding, "Ah, yes," she nodded, lamenting the state of society. "The 'professional world' does not respect natural hair. Unless you're in my field, of course," she added with a playful wink to the overall-wearer.

"Do you want me to make it more like your natural look for tomorrow or play with it as is...?" the cosmetologist realized that she had not asked anyone's names, hoping silently that no one would take offense.

"Maru," the scientist offered, resting her warm brown hands on her lap. "I don't want anything fancy, so you can leave it as it is. I'm... mainly here for emotional support," Maru told Bex and bobbing her head slightly behind her to indicate Penny. The city girl did her best to hide her disappointment, but it was plain on her face from the slight pout of her lower lip. Her dark eyes sought a new target, the shy ginger behind Maru.

"Penny," Bex waved the timid teacher over to sit next to Maru. "What made you want to be a redhead?" Rebecca inquired.

This reveal surprised all present, but Maru especially, who had never noticed that the color was not natural. Then again, she had never been entirely keen on physical appearance.

Bex immediately realized her mistake as she glanced down at Penny. _Apparently I cannot treat this at all like appointments with my super chill clients in NuNu..._ The outed women looked mortified. "Bex, you can't just go revealing everyone's hair secrets!" Violet scolded. Not everyone wanted others to know these sorts of things. Though honestly even Violet could hardly believe that Penny dyed her hair. It must be true though, because the teacher was nearly trembling.

"Is everyone's hair dyed in this room but mine?" Haley questioned.

"Nope," Leah replied, popping a salmonberry into her mouth. "This mane is all recessive genetics..." she laughed.

Rebecca let her head fall to one side, trying to get her face into Penny's line of sight, which was fixed on the floor. "Lo siento, chica," the cosmetologist apologized delicately. "I get a little ahead of myself sometimes. I usually try to get my clients' 'hair story' before I get started helping them. I did not mean to hurt you."

The teacher continued to stare at the floor and gripped the loose material of her earth-toned skirt. "I..." she started softly. “I dye it because my mother said I look a lot like my father with my dark hair." Her emerald eyes remained transfixed on the floorboard at her feet. "And that seems to bring up a lot of old memories and emotions for her, so it's easier to just... do this than deal with..." Penny's voice trailed off and she began crying silently, as if she had a lot of practice suppressing her sobs.

Everyone in the room grew quiet, even Abigail stopped munching her snacks and sat up straight. "Well, shit," the amethyst haired woman stated, her mouth still full of potato chip crumbs. "That got personal _real_ fast."

Emily squeezed next to Penny on the opposite side of Maru, "Oh, Penny, I'm so sorry," the red-clad spiritualist uttered in a mothering tone, giving the teacher a hug. "You're trying so hard to keep it all in, aren't you?" Penny did not seem to fight the hug, so Emily continued the encouragement, "You're safe here, Penny. Cry if you want!"

It took a moment, but once Penny realized that Emily was being sincere, the waterworks became more violent. "I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a downer at a p-p-party!" Penny sobbed, trying to hide her face in Emily's shoulder. "I just wanted to try to get to know everyone better and I made everything awkward!"

Violet was lost at what to do as the host. Should they all try to comfort Penny? Would that be putting too much attention on her? _Well, fuck, this isn't going well..._ she thought. The farmer looked to Bex pleadingly, but all her tall friend could do was shrug.

Luckily, "I have an idea!" Abigail exclaimed as she put her booted foot on the coffee table and lifting her glass into the air. "Let's go around and let everyone vent! That way we all get it out of our system."

Emily nodded approvingly, "It is good to let these sorts of things out before they eat away at you on the inside." She continued to pat Penny's back soothingly.

Leah took a quick bite of goat cheese on a cracker and lifted her wine glass in agreement, "Oh, oh! Me first!"

Bex rose to her full height, which was taller than all the village women "Wait! Before we get all worked up, everyone take a magazine or catalog or something to decide how you all want your hair. We are wasting precious time!"

"Oh, I already know what I'm doing to do," Emily affirmed confidently. She plucked a stylized sketch from her pocket, trying her best not to disturb Penny. The drawing looked much like one for designing a dress, only with a simple head drawn instead. The cosmetologist took the paper and scanned the idea.

"Similar to your everyday look, but more refined for a special occasion," the hair dresser noted. "Clearly inspired by the 1920s fashion," Bex nodded in satisfaction. "If you already have a headband, it should be easy to lace some little flowers into it. ¡Lo apruebo!" The bright green of her ponytail whipped to the side as she looked around the room. "Anyone else know what they want?"

"I'm letting you have fun with mine," Violet assured her best friend with a smirk. "I trust you'll know what to do." That got a grin out of Bex.

"Conejita, I already have plans for your hair." She dug through one of the bags she brought and produced a silver circlet decorated with tiny purple flowers and deep green ivy leaves.

"Is that the one your primo Arturo made me for Ren Faire?" Violet inhaled with a high-pitched whine. "I thought I lost it!"

The woman chuckled, "You did, mi querida idiota. I had him make another one," she explained, handing off the delicate band of metal to Violet. Leah came over to inspect the craftsmanship.

"This is incredible!" the ginger breathed. "The level of detail on such a tiny scale..."

Bex's satisfaction was palpable, "We don't do anything half-assed en mi familia," she proclaimed confidently, crossing her legs in front of her as she munch on a bit of Emily's survival burger dip. "Arturo does metal work and welding for a construction company by day and uses those skills for fun on the side."

Leah's braid fell from her shoulder as she took the circlet from Violet and held it closer to her face. "If only I could be half as good with my woodworking as this guy is with metalworking!" she exclaimed.

Haley inserted herself into the conversation. "You _are_ just as good, Leah..." she offered quickly to make sure she got a word in the conversation. The woman was not used to competing for attention, but in a room full of women, things were different than they had been back in high school.

The ginger turned to face Haley and much to everyone's surprise, she looked angry, "Didn't you just tell me yesterday that you thought being a sculptor was 'dirty?'"

 _So that's what the real fight was about,_ Violet thought uncomfortably. _It might be better to re-hash everything with others around to mediate, I guess?_

The blonde flushed and stammered a bit as she replied, "I didn't - That's wasn't what I was _trying_ to say. I just - UGH!" Haley balled her fists and stomped her heeled shoes on the floor in frustration. "I just don't know how to talk about fine art like I do photography!" she yelled. "Photography has a crispness to it and sure I said it has 'clean lines' and all that, but I _wanted_ to say that when you make a sculpture or a sketch or whatever, you're _making_ something. I just... capture a moment, but you..." she bit her lip and looked away. "You _create_ something from nothing and that's really cool, okay?"

Leah's mouth hung open as her cheeks turned as pink as Haley's lipstick. "Oh..." The artist was not sure how to take such a compliment, especially after she had been so hostile toward Haley.

Penny, who stopped her crying, sniffled as she wiped her face with her hands. "It sounds like there was just a big misunderstanding..." she laughed weakly and smiled at the two. “But I'm glad you worked it out."

"I suppose airing things out might be a good idea after all," Maru conceded, popping one of the leftover strawberries Violet had set out into her mouth. "Does anyone else have anything they want to share?"

"FINE, BUT THINK OF WHAT YOU ALL WANT," Bex demanded, pulling out a flat iron and plugging it into the wall. "Also, Emily, get over here," she muttered grumpily. "I may as well do yours tonight and if it needs a touch-up in the morning we'll already be ahead of schedule." The hair dresser beckoned Haley over so she could show the blonde the process and explain why she was doing things a certain way.

"Oh, excellent idea!" Emily agreed, seating herself in the chair in front of Rebecca. "Besides, we can all still multi-task," the sapphire-haired woman reassured the cosmetologist.

"As I said, me first," Leah repeated, dragging a kitchen chair toward the rest of the seated guests and straddling the seat so that her arms rested on the back of the chair. She refilled her wine glass and pointed it toward Penny. "You, miss run-out-of-the-bar-crying-for-no-apparent-reason, what the hell happened Friday? Elliott totally ditched me for the rest of the night!"

Penny's face matched her hair for a moment and her eyes darted toward Abigail uncomfortably. "I - I got upset over something I saw and left. Elliott followed me because he assumed it was something he had done..." she elucidated.

Leah rolled her eyes, "Typical, Elliott," she acknowledged, tipping her glass to Penny in emphasis. "But that doesn't explain why he left didn't come back!"

"Well, we just... started talking," Penny answered, her gaze downward, but her the corner of her lips pulled toward her ears. "And he offered to walk along the beach with me. The next thing we knew... it was getting close to midnight." From the hue of Penny's cheeks, the rest of the people in the room caught on that there was more to the tale.

"A moonlit walk on the beach? That sounds suspiciously like a date," Haley pointed out, handing Bex the spray she asked for to protect Emily's hair from the heat of the flat iron. "So are you two like a thing now?"

Penny denied the accusation vigorously, "Of course not!" she insisted, shielding her face from everyone with a couch pillow. "I hardly know him!"

"You definitely have a thing for him now, though, don't you?" Leah cooed, pleased that she finally had an answer as to why her best friend ditched her. "And he calls you 'Penelope?'"

"I thought your name wasn't short for anything," Maru wondered aloud. "Or am I misremembering?"

The turned bright red again. "I didn't have the heart to correct him," the shy woman confessed. "And it made me feel so _sophisticated_ when he called me 'Penelope...'"

"Thaaat's actually adorable," Leah giggled, "I approve!"

The woman in the canary yellow shirt peeked out from her hiding place. "You what?"

"If you and Elliott were to be an item, I'd be happy," Leah articulated. "He needs someone who appreciates him for all his..." the artist swirled the remaining pink liquid in her glass, until she settled upon a proper descriptor, "charming quirks." Elliott's best friend raised her glass to Penny as if she were toasting, "And you already seem smitten," she observed, pointing her finger at the teacher.

Penny's lips pulled into a shy smile, "He _is_ quite charming..." she agreed, holding the pillow to her chest now. “But I suppose I would have to get to know him better to even consider... dating.”

Abigail snorted, "What is your mom not going to let you or something?"

Pam's daughter gripped the pillow more tightly, "Well... mother doesn't approve of casual dating. For... obvious reasons," Penny admitted, clearly embarrassed.

"You're an adult," Abigail shot back, annoyed at the mere concept of parental restrictions on their grown children. "You're constantly taking care of your mom, so if you want to do something just for you, you deserve it!"

"She raised me all by herself," Penny countered meekly. "It's the least I can do..." The young woman twiddled her fingers in her lap and Maru finally spoke up.

"Penny, you take great care of your mom and you have for a long time. You teach Vincent and Jas without pay, help, or gratitude," she assured her best friend, touching her hand tenderly. "So when are you going to finally do something for yourself?"

Penny's emerald eyes shone with a hopeful expression. "I suppose my hair could be a start..." she replied with a squeak.

This caught Bex's attention, which was perfect timing because she had just finished styling Emily's. "... Does this mean you're considering letting me dye your hair back to its natural color?" she asked cautiously, trying to contain her excitement and failing miserably.

The woman in question bit her lip and then nodded, "I recently discovered that a little harmless spontaneity can be fun..." Squeezing her eyes shut, Penny braced herself, "Yes! Make me a brunette again!"

* * *

Everyone pitched in a little bit to help Bex dye Penny's hair and the cosmetologist seemed to enjoy having so many eager assistants. The professional showed Haley how to mix the proper colors once Penny found an example of someone with her natural hair color in a styling catalog. "Oh, that's such a rich, beautiful color," Emily commented happily. "And look at you, your aura has already brightened up a little at the idea of this change. I'm so excited for you, Penny!" she exclaimed, giving the other woman a hug.

Abigail adorned the latex gloves, as she volunteered to be the one to actually apply the dye. "It's been so long since I've done this, but it's actually kind of fun," the amethyst-haired woman admitted. She wielded the application brush dramatically as she dipped it into the goo that Haley prepared. Abigail scooped some out and let it fall back into the container as Bex instructed, "That's perfect consistency," the hair dresser praised the blonde. "¡Gran trabajo!"

Haley appreciated the feedback and already she had learned so much this evening just from following the city girl's guidance. "This is a lot of fun," she admitted, "evening if it is a little messy," she added, catching Leah's gaze with a smile.

Leah, looking somewhat self-conscious, excused herself to get more food and drink.

While Penny was a little uncomfortable with all the attention, it was also nice to receive some validation on her impulsive decision. Everyone was being so kind and supportive. Was this what it was like to have a real group of friends? If only she had been braver sooner. Maru had always been a wonderful friend, but like everyone else, she was not always available to chat or help when Penny needed another person with whom she could talk about her feelings.

"I'm so nervous," Penny told Abigail, as she approached the soon-to-be-former-redhead with the applicator brush. Maru held Penny's hand and gave her an assuring squeeze.

"It's going to look great on you," Maru assured her best friend. "And I can tell from your body language that you really want to do this."

Penny nodded bashfully. "I do..." she said, coming clean with her true feelings. “I think... this will be a good change for me."

"Do you want me to get a 'before' and 'after' photo?" Haley offered. This was a great chance to start using her Polaroid.

"I love those!" Emily thought aloud, taking a seat next to Violet. "Capturing the beautiful moments of metamorphosis to look back upon and reflect how those moments made us who we are as a person is a great way to meditate."

Violet realized she had been quiet for a bit too long as the host of the party and as much as she wanted to people-watch and pet Bruno all evening, Emily was actively trying to engage her. "I didn't know you like meditation," the farmer replied. "Is that one of your hobbies?"

With the invitation, Emily shared that she often meditated first thing each morning to "start her day off right." The friendly woman then expanded on her love of fashion, dye-making, and sewing her own clothing for a solid ten minutes before she stopped herself. "Oh, that reminds me..." Emily called over to Maru, who was no longer permitted to simply hold Penny's hand, since the space she had occupied was needed for others to join in on the dyeing process if they wanted to get this done at a decent hour. "Maru? Could you please get that thing out of my bag?" she asked. "The one for Violet?"

The farmer froze mid-bite, berry juice dripping down her chin. "The what now?" she inquired with alarm. Why would Emily have something her and why was Maru involved? Violet's dark blue eyes went to the scientist for answers.

Maru smirked, "I had more than one reason for borrowing that shirt of yours, you know," she informed the farmer with a chuckle. After opening Emily's satchel, Maru quickly found the item she sought. The scientist handed the farmer a soft white bundle tied together with a ribbon that matched Violet's eyes. "This is for you."

"Huh?" Violet was dumbfounded, taking what felt like cotton fabric from Maru. "What is this?"

Emily shed some light on the situation. "Maru asked that I make it for you based on your shirt size." The woman smoothed her hand over the hair that framed her face and her grin went from ear to ear. "It's for tomorrow! Maru didn't think you would have a white dress..."

The farmer was taken aback by her neighbors' kindness. "That's so sweet..." she replied appreciatively, untying the ribbon and letting the dress fall to its full length. It was a beautiful cotton wrap dress with long, loose sleeves, so the chances it would fit her were high. Violet's cobalt eyes drifted back to Maru and her lips curled up into a smile, "And _sneaky!_ " the pastel-haired woman scoffed, both impressed and annoyed that she had not caught on earlier. "But you have a lot to explain about Sebastian's shirt," she added, draping her new dress over her forearm. Violet was not about to let the scientist off that easily.

Maru pulled up one of the kitchen chairs to join in the living room circle and seated herself. "That was pure accident," the bespectacled person swore. "But it seems to have worked out well enough for you. When did you figure out it wasn't mine?"

Abigail, relieved of her duties now that what remained was more delicate 'detail work' on Penny's hair, chimed in from her perch on the back of the couch. "Oh, so you know it's Sebastian's old t-shirt now?" she questioned between bites of food.

The farmer threw up her arms, the dress was holding flapping up into her face. "You knew and didn't tell me?!"

"Well, I didn't want to make any assumptions," Abigail replied with a shrug as she turned and let herself slide down the back of the couch, so her feet were up and she faced the ceiling. "And Sam and I confronted him about it when he let you keep it after the Egg Festival."

"You've known that long?!" Violet huffed. The farmer paused, considering her next words carefully, "... What did Sebastian have to say for himself?"

Abigail rolled her cerulean eyes, "I accused him of being a perv," she began, "but he said you really liked it and didn't want to make you feel weird about it. So if he wasn't going to wear it anymore, why not just let you keep it and not say anything?"

Most of the women looked lost, exchanging looks among one another. Violet sighed heavily as she sank into the cushion of the couch, her face drifting down to rest on her knees. Without lifting her head, she groaned, "Abigail, pass me your stupidly strong booze."

"Yesss!" Abigail cheered, rolling off the couch and grabbing as many cups as she could stack to encourage others to join them. "Story time!"

Violet took a shot of the clear alcohol and began her abridged explanation of "The Shirt," making sure to leave out any supernatural details, such as the shadow creature and the magic-induced sleep. Though, technically, Violet had yet to try and test that hypothesis with Sebastian in her case, but she had not reached that part of the explanation yet. Penny was the most scandalized by Sebastian's sleeping over unchaperoned, but Maru flashed a satisfied smile, "I knew he wasn't at Sam's the whole time," his younger sister chuckled. "He was way too happy when he got home!"

The pastel-haired woman blushed at that comment and took the shot that Abigail offered before continuing her tale. When she finally elaborated on how she reached her conclusion that "The Shirt" was Sebastian's, Violet was once again careful to leave out the detail that it was his lingering scent that triggered the realization and the potential magic involved the night she slept over in his room. Leah kept her drunken giggles stifled behind her hand. "I don't know if I think this is creepy or hilarious," she stated as Violet finished.

"Woah, woah, woah, chica," Bex interjected, clearly annoyed that Violet had left out some details the other night when they were catching up. "So you not only slept over at his place, but once you figured everything out, you didn't immediately return the shirt?"" She pointed toward Violet's bedroom, "So that new shirt you've been sleeping in is Sebastián's?"

Abigail, being an incredibly bad influence, offered Violet another shot and the farmer took it gladly to avoid answering her best friend's question.

Leah clearly appreciated the Spanish pronunciation, "Oh, his name sounds so much cooler in Spanish," the ginger observed.

Bex grinned, proud of her native tongue. " _Everything_ is sexier in Español, hermosa diosa," she asserted confidently. "And no one can argue otherwise."

The artist had no idea that Bex was being flirtatious in her compliments, but that did not seem to bother the cosmetologist. She glanced down at Penny, who had been sitting patiently, if not suffering from second-hand embarrassment from Violet's account of what happened, needed to go wash out the excess dye.

"Penny, it's time to rinse," Bex informed her client optimistically. The cosmetologist lead a nervous Penny toward the bathroom, "Violet, we're going to use your shower to wash Penny's hair," she called over her shoulder to her best friend as she grabbed a hairdryer and styling brush. "But don't think I'm going to let you get away without more questions!"

"Wish me luck!" Penny squeaked as the two disappeared into the bathroom.

While the rest waited, Abigail decided to vent about her parents and their nagging. Leah, drunk off her strawberry wine, fed off Abigail's energy. "Hey, Haley!" the ginger called over to the blonde.

The shorter blonde woman approached the cluster of women seated around the coffee table. "Yes?"

The ginger frowned and furrowed her brow, "You're so pretty, but why are you so mean?"

Haley balked at the question, which completely overshadowed the fact that the red-head called her pretty. "I'm not mean!" she shot back defensively.

"Yeah, you are!" Leah countered, "You were trying to stir things up when Violet moved in by sending that picture around and you look down on people all the time. You told me I'd be pretty if it weren't for all the dirt on me after I went foraging for mushrooms last summer."

 _Traitor!_ Haley thought, seeing Emily's nod of agreement from the corner of her eye. "That was ages ago!"

"You still said it!" Abigail chimed in. "So tell us, Haley! Why so mean?"

Haley felt backed into a corner, "I-It's like I told everyone earlier," she began. "I just don't know how to talk to other girls. I was always popular with the guys in school because of my looks and... I guess it just made the girls hate me," the blonde confessed, her blue eyes downcast. "So... I don't know how to talk to other women much. I've always been in like, a weird competition with them for the interest of the popular guys."

Haley huffed in annoyance, changing her tone. "And the most annoying part is that Alex is clueless that I've been trying to get him to ask me out for years."

"Dating seems pretty low on Alex's priority list," Leah replied, completely straight-faced. Then her face scrunched in confusion. "Though he likes to hit on basically any girl that moves and it's stupid that works for people like him."

Leah stood up, causing Abigail - who had been leaning on the ginger - to slide slowly down onto the floor. The amethyst-haired woman dragged Violet down with her. Abigail whispered something inaudible to the farmer and the two laughed, though what about was anyone's guess.

"Fuck pretty boys!" Leah proclaimed adamantly, setting down her empty wine bottle on what little space she could find on the coffee table. "If Alex hasn't caught on by this point, he's not ever going to figure it out. All he cares about is gridball!"

While it was clear that Leah was intoxicated, Haley could not help but feel the truth behind her words. "Well, if not Alex, then who? Should I move to the city and start all over?" the blonde asked sarcastically.

"Who said you should move?" the artist groaned in annoyance.

Haley scoffed. "Then what do you mean? It's not like there are any other guys our age I want to date," she informed the red-head. "This town is so small, the options are limited."

"There are people in town who find _you_ attractive, you know!" Leah shot back. "I mean, I see you taking pictures in the forest a lot, but it gets confusing 'cause you say such mean things when I try to talk to you. But I guess even when you're trying to be nice... you just put your foot in your mouth a lot, huh?"

Haley's face flushed and her eyes widened, "What are you saying, Leah...?"

"It sucks being the only lesbian in town!" the red-head groused, fiddling with the end of her long braid. "It's like other women don't even consider the possibility. Fuck heteronormativity!"

A loud crash came from behind Leah, interrupting Haley's follow-up. Abigail and Violet giggled on the ground in a drunken heap as Bruno licked his human's face clean of survival burger dip.

Before the Haley could question Leah, Penny and Bex burst forth from the bathroom. "May I present..." Bex shouted excitedly, drumming her hands on the door frame to fire up the rest of the group. "Penny la bella morena!"

* * *

Sam got the text from Abigail that it was about time to swing by and take her home rather late, but that was to be expected. ***I'll be by soon,*** he replied. ***Is the mission going according to plan?***

***Fuck yeah, it is! You have Sebastian with you?***

"Hey, fam! Snap a pic with me, will ya?" Sam said, ambushing Sebastian in a reverse photo-bomb.

"What?" Sebastian did not have time to the blond's words before Sam snapped the photo. The flash blinded the dark-haired man for a moment. "Sam, what the hell?" he snapped, but the skater shushed him immediately.

"My mom and Vincent are asleep, Sebby," Sam scolded, discreetly pressing the 'send' button before Sebastian could argue. "C'mon, we gotta go pick up Abi from Violet's."

Sebastian's eye did not leave the pages of his comic. "Why do we both have to go?" he complained.

Sam grabbed his denim jacket and shrugged his shoulders into it. "Because, mi compadre," he began to explain, "the ladies have been drinking and it is our duty as gentlemen to see they make it safely home..."

"They?" Sebastian's eyebrows rose questioningly. "Violet lives there. Why does she have to go anywhere?"

The blond waggled his eyebrows, "From what I hear, all the single ladies in town are at the farmhouse tonight."

"Oh, fuck no," Sebastian replied, trying to head the other direction toward home. "I am not playing babysitter for a bunch of drunk women." Sam grabbed the programmer's hood and pulled him back. The blond held down a speed dial number and Sebastian could hear Abigail's voice on the other end.

"Hey, Abi," Sam greeted their mutual friend in a singsong voice. "Sebby doesn't wanna see Violet after all..."

The hoodie-clad man began to panic immediately, "That is not what I said!" Sebastian he shouted defensively. It had been several days since the man had heard from Violet. He figured it was because her best friend was in town, but Sebastian thought she might at least swing by at some point. Had he done something wrong when they last saw each other at Sam's? Maybe Violet was upset he made fun of her and Sam for their sing-off? "Sam and I are on our way."

"Sebastian, you'd better!" Abigail yelled into the phone. "Violet has something to say to you!"

"Abigail!" Violet shushed Sam's girlfriend. "Stop!" the farmer giggled before the called ended. Abigail must have hung up.

Sam's chocolate eyes glanced at Sebastian before he elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "So you coming, fam?"

* * *

Violet found herself on the floor when Abigail reached out to her in an attempt to stay on the couch when Leah got up, but instead of saving herself, both young women ended up on the floor in a tangled heap. "What the hell, Abigail?" Violet complained, though she did not sound particularly mad.

"Violet!" Abigail moaned, "Why are men so stupid?" she complained. "Sam's always so flirty. Even if it doesn't mean anything, I don't like that he does it!" the amethyst-haired woman complained, gently tapping her fist on the floor in emphasis.

"I know he's flirty, but he loves you, Abigail," Violet assured her friend, pawing at her face both in an attempt to grab hold of something to sit up and in slight retaliation for pulling her down in the first place. "I can see it in his eyes. He adores you. Just tell him how you feel!"

Abigail flopped her head to one side to face the farmer, "You really think so?" she asked hopefully.

The pastel-haired woman bobbed her head, "Of course!"

A happy giggle escaped Abigail and in her current state, Violet could not help but join in. The younger of the duo then posed her own question, "So whose this ex of yours that you can stop thinking about?"

Violet blinked, unsure if she was confused because of the alcohol in her system or the question itself. "What are you talking about?"

Abigail rolled onto her stomach and propped her head upon her hands. "Well," she began, "Sebastian told Sam, who told me, that he overheard you talking to his mom about some guy you think about all the time, but that you regretted the relationship." She poked Violet's nose and repeated her question: "So what's the deal? Why are you so hung up on this guy?"

A groan escaped Violet. "Ugh, Sebastian only heard part of my conversation with Robin," she clarified. "I can't tell if that's better or worse!"

"Why?" Abigail replied, doing her best to imitate an annoying toddler's voice.

"'Cause I accidentally gave away that I think about her son all the fucking time!" Violet muttered miserably. "I wasn't talking about Kyle when I said I that!"

Abigail's face morphed into a giddy grin. "Oh, that's so fucking embarrassing," she cackled. "But you know what? Fuck worrying about the past!" She reflected Violet's own advice back to her, "Just tell Sebastian how you feel!"

"Whyyy?" Violet moaned, trying to swat Abigail away.

"Because you want to!" Abigail shot back. "'Sides, when I asked you about Sam, you told me not to worry about all the 'what-ifs!' and focus on what makes me happy," the younger woman reminded the farmer. "And," Abigail slapped the floor in emphasis as she tried to push herself back up on the couch. "You kept wearing Sebastian's shirt even after you found out the truth because you liiike him!" Her amethyst hair curtained her face as she started to rise up from the floor. "You're as much of a weirdo perv as he is!" Abigail accused the farmer.

Violet sat up suddenly, trying to escape Abigail, but instead knocked a plate of food off the coffee table. Bruno came bounding over, and being a good dog, began to lick the mess off of his owner's face. The farmer could not help but laugh as Bruno's tongue tickled her and Abigail joined in at the ridiculous sight of it all.

* * *

Maru and Emily sat at the kitchen table, keeping clear of the others for a while and enjoying the relative calm of this side of the house. "I'm glad you decided to come tonight," Emily shared with Maru. "I don't see you very much, except for town festivals."

The scientist shrugged, "Penny wanted to try it out, but she was too nervous to come alone," Maru explained. "I like the sense of community when we all get together for the festivals, but I don't particularly feel the desire to socialize in large groups most of the time. I do have a lot of projects, after all."

"Oh? What are you working on?" Emily wanted to know. This was a great opportunity to get to know more about the younger woman's interest.

"I usually work on robotic gadgets, cataloging the local fauna and flora to see how the populations change over time, or help my dad in the lab with his specimens." The bespectacled woman noticed that while Emily listened intently, these were not topics that were particularly useful for identifying common ground. "But my latest project is actually helping Alex with his gridball training, believe it or not."

Emily perked up, "That's wonderful!" she praised the scientist. "You should get Shane involved, too!" The sapphire-haired woman suggested. "He was almost recruited right out of high school for a full-ride scholarship before his injury. I'm sure you could get a lot of pointers from him on how to best help Alex."

The scientist was learning all sorts of things about her neighbors this evening. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied, jotting down a note to herself to talk to Shane at some point in the future. Maru produced an aquamarine out of one of her many pockets and handed it to Emily. "Here's the mineral you requested. From what I can gather, it should be a suitable specimen for the dye you want to make."

A smile formed on Emily's red lips as she cradled the smooth sphere in her hands. "It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed. "It will be perfect, I'm sure!" Emily gingerly dropped the mineral into her bag and fastened it shut. "If you happen to find any eye-catching gems, please let me know! I'm always looking to make new jewelry or accessories."

"You do a lot of creative work with your hands," Maru observed. It seemed their strengths were in opposite hemispheres of the brain, but for Maru, that only meant they could learn a great deal from each other. "Where do you get most of your inspiration?"

The sapphire-haired woman chuckled, "Believe it or not, I get a lot of ideas from dreams..." Upon noticing that Maru remained attentive, Emily continued, "I actually had a dream that Violet was important to the Valley the other night." She paused, sipping a little strawberry wine. "Something brought Violet to Pelican Town, so she could do something that only she can do for the Valley."

This caught Maru's interest, especially after her recent discoveries concerning Welwick and the Wizard. "I would be interested to hear more about your dreams and your interpretations of them," the researcher said sincerely. "Would you be willing to write down the details for me at some point?"

Emily was caught off-guard that someone else was so fascinated by night-time visions. "Of course!" the older woman agreed. "Anytime you like."

"May I present..." Bex's voice shouted excitedly from across the room, drumming her hands on the door frame to fire up the rest of the group. "Penny la bella morena!"

Penny stepped out of the bathroom, her deep brunette hair cascading just past her shoulders. She smiled shyly, but everyone could tell from the sparkle in her emerald eyes that she was pleased with the new look.

"You look stunning!" Emily squealed with excitement.

While the guests all focused on Penny, Violet - still rather drunk from all the alcohol - managed to get up without knocking anything over this time and gave her best friend a hug. "You did _awesome_ , Bex. Look at how happy Penny looks!"

While Rebecca was happy for the physical display of affection, she pulled away and examined the shorter woman, "Chica, when did you get so drunk?"

Violet's face scrunched, looking quite serious. "I think... about twenty minutes ago is when it really started to hit me." She looked lost, "Where's my glass? I need to drink some water..." she muttered to herself.

"Very good, conejita," Bex assured her friend, leading her to the kitchen. "Let's get you hydrated and get some more food in you so you're not miserable tomorrow." Once they got Violet a nice tall glass of water and some fruit, the cosmetologist glanced around the room, "Does anyone else have ideas for tomorrow?" Now that Penny's hair was dyed, the rest should be relatively easy to handle, even if everyone waited until morning. They would just need to start around seven or so to get everyone ready if she had Haley's assistance.

Maru, who stood next to a still-smiling brunette Penny, got the hair dresser's attention. "Since Penny was so brave today," she began, glancing at her best frient, "I think I'll honor that by wearing my hair more naturally tomorrow. If only just for a day," she announced decisively.

Bex jumped up and down with excitement, "YAS!" she screamed, bounding over toward Maru and seating her. "I have all sorts of curling wands," the cosmetologist explained. "So if you can just show me how tight you want the curls, we can get to work pronto!"

After examining her options, Maru made her selection. "Haley, divide Maru's hair into sections for me," Bex ordered, pinning up Maru's top layers of hair so she could start from the bottom. The blonde's slender fingers went to work immediately. After applying a few products to protect her client's hair, Bex went to town with the curling wand. It only took a few sections for her to get an idea of how well this would hold. "This is going to look tan sexy, chica! ¡Mira estos rizos!" the bilingual gasped.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door and Penny looked slightly panicked as Sam's voice rang out from the other side, "Red rover, red rover, we call Abigail over!"

Penny relaxed slightly, but Violet could see that Penny was a little sad. She wondered why.

Abigail scooped up her things and headed for the door. "Well, ladies, it's been a blast," she said, dismissing herself, "but my male escort is here to take me home. I will see you all in the morning." The amethyst-haired woman handed a short note to Bex. "I'll do this tomorrow. It's pretty simple," for informed Rebecca. It appeared that Abigail had her style chosen this entire time from the looks of things. Bex beamed. "'Noelle Stevenson's She-Ra: Adora poof and high ponytail, plus flowers.' I approve!"

Abigail's light eyes shot Bex one last look before she linked arms with Violet to drag her along. "C'mon Violet, walk me out," she ordered.

Violet could hardly fight it in her current state and did her best to keep from toppling over. Still, she was starting to feel a bit better after eating a snack and drinking a few glasses of water. Abigail opened the door and pulled Violet outside with her before slamming the door behind them.

Leah inhaled audibly and pressed her face against the glass as discreetly as she could - which is to say, not at all. "Dammit, I can't see out there with the lights on in here, it's too dark!" the ginger complained. Her fingers reached for the light switch.

"Touch those lights and you die, roja!" Bex snarled, working through Maru's hair with deft fingers. "I am working on a masterpiece here!"

Haley frowned, "Who cares what's going on outside right now?"

The ginger seemed to only process part of the blonde's question. "How am I going to keep Elli updated if I can't hear what they're saying?" Leah replied in frustration.

Penny, perched on the couch closest to Maru, seemed confused as to why Leah seemed so intent on spying. "Why does Abigail need Violet outside if Sam is already here to walk her home?" Penny asked quizzically. Bex smiled knowingly.

"My guess is that there is more than one 'male escort' outside right now," the cosmetologist replied with a playful wink.


	38. Moonlit Musings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Violet tells Sebastian about her recent discovery under the moonlight.

As soon as the two women stepped outside, Abigail jumped from the top of the porch down onto Sam, who barely withstood the impact without falling. "Oof," the blond grunted, his knees shaking slightly. "You gotta give me better warning, Abi."

The amethyst-haired woman beamed, "I knew you would catch me." She poke his nose with her finger and giggled, clearing quite giddy in her drunkenness. "You wanna go somewhere more private?" she teased, tracing the line of his jaw.

Sam paled, clearly embarrassed that Abigail was suddenly being openly affectionate in front of others, which immediately yielded to the pink rising in his cheeks. "I'm... going to make sure you get home safely," he insisted, putting her down gently. "If you need me to carry you, you can hop on my back."

Abigail pouted slightly, but the disappointment did not last long. She grinned as Sam lowered himself so she could more easily jump onto him and took him up on the offer. "Full speed ahead, Sam!" she ordered with a laugh. Sam gave Violet and nod, "I'll take it from here, V. Thanks!" He glanced over to the side. "Best of luck, fam," Sam added before he carried his girlfriend back toward town.

Violet turned toward where the blond had directed his last comment and realized that Sebastian stood there, mostly blending into the night with his dark clothes and hair. In the moonlight, his face took on a soft glow. The man shrugged his shoulders, and turned his head away bashfully, tucking his hands into his pockets. "You wanted to say something to me?"

Whether it was the alcohol or a newfound courage within her, Violet was unsure, but she planted her feet and gazed directly into his ink-black eyes. "I figured out that shirt is yours, but I'm keeping it anyway," Violet informed Sebastian boldly. Before the young man could defend his honor regarding the snowballing of one accident, the farmer continued. "It's soft and comfortable and I feel safe in it..."

The pastel-haired woman could see in the light of the moon that Sebastian's face took on a different hue, but she could not tell the reason from his expression. Violet sighed, "So, whether or not it was on purpose, I guess... I associate you with 'home' now," the farmer explained. "And I know it's just a hunch, but I think that's why I fell asleep the other night..." Despite herself, Violet flushed as she made a confession that normally would have terrified her, "Since I was already home I was with you..."

The way Violet said it sounded so innocent, and yet, Sebastian could not help but feel like he inadvertently led her to this point by not telling her the truth from the beginning. "I... don't understand," he responded, unsure of what to make of Violet's hypothesis.

Violet groaned in frustration. "Do I really have to say it?!" she replied almost angrily, but Sebastian could tell it was not pure anger. More mortified, like whenever he was forced into public speaking.

"I - um..." he stumbled with his words, unsure of what to say. “I mean, you don't have to say, but it would help me get what you're trying to say..." he clarified to the farmer.

The short woman appeared conflicted and her face deepened in its shade of pink. "I-It took me a while to realize, but... that shirt smells like you." Violet cleared her throat, "I only figured it out after I spent the night at your place. When I came home the next day and put on the shirt again... it kinda clicked."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "Oh..." He was suddenly self-conscious of how all his attempts to make Violet feel less awkward probably made things worse when she found out on her own. Despite himself, part of him felt a strange mixture of relief, happiness, and guilt that Violet associated his scent with her idea of home.

"See!" Violet pointed a finger at Sebastian's shocked expression. "This is why I didn't want to explain! It makes me sound like a creep!" the farmer complained miserably. "I don't just go around sniffing people, okay?"

The dark-haired man held up his hands in front of him defensively. "I didn't think it was creepy!" he assured her. "I'm the one who felt like _I_ was being a creep letting you keep it, but you seemed so happy and I figured correcting the mistake would make you embarrassed. It's not like you did it on purpose! I mean, this whole damn thing was just everyone trying to be considerate and it all backfired."

Violet paused and her ocean-blue eyes focused intently on Sebastian's face, as if studying him. "I believe you," she finally sighed, though her voice was nearly drowned out by the sounds of the insects chirping. She exhaled heavily and sat down on the bottom step of the porch. "Part of me was really paranoid that this was someone trying to manipulate me all over again," she shared, gazing up at the starry night sky. "There were lots of little things he did purposefully to bring me around to his way of thinking, even when it honestly did not make any sense to me." Violet glanced at him shyly, "But, you're different..."

"So that's why you're hung up on this guy?" Sebastian asked to clarify, taking a seat next to the farmer.

The young woman seemed disgusted and offended, "Fuck, no," Violet insisted adamantly, though Sebastian had to admit to himself that even her angry face was cute. "Look, I'm not sure how much you overheard of that conversation I had with your mom, but I'm not still 'hung up' on fuckin' _Kyle_. He's a cheating, gas-lighting prick, and I lost all my old friends - except Bex, who is a fuckin' saint - because he spread wild rumors about me."

The programmer thought it was kind of funny how often she cursed when she was drunk. "What kind of rumors?" Sebastian wondered aloud.

Violet's face twisted in annoyance. "None of your business, you nosy bastard!" Her resolve did not last long, however. The farm girl muttered to herself and started drawing pictures in the dirt with the toe of her boot. "He told all our friends I attacked him with a weapon when he tried to break up with me." She growled in annoyance, slapping the plank of the stair on which she sat, "And that I had begged him to take me back, but he refused."

"And what actually happened?" Sebastian dared to inquire.

The farmer cleared her throat and peered down her nose into the dirt, as if Kyle were standing right there. "We were living together and he 'lost his job' and so I was the only one paying rent, utilities, all that," Violet began in an understandably resentful tone. "I came home from work early one day and while he wasn't home, his phone was there and he got a text message. I know it's not okay to just read people's texts, but I just saw the 'coming over tonight, sexy?' from the text notification. So clearly, not an innocent text from his mom or anything," she added mockingly.

"When he got home, I confronted him and he tried to weasel his way out of it," she scoffed. "Kyle had the fucking _audacity_ to try and tell me it was my fault he was cheating because I hadn't had sex with him, even though I was very clear from the beginning that was not on the table until we had dated for a while because of my fantastic role models for intimate relationships," the sarcasm dripped from her voice like a melting icicle. Violet shrugged, "Anyway, I ordered him to leave or I'd call the cops. Since he wasn't on the lease and he had no right to stay there." The farmer chuckled, "That is the one great piece of advice my brother gave me and I'm glad I actually listened or I would have been screwed."

"Remind me to thank your brother," the young man said, his lips pulling back into a teasing grin. Then, Sebastian looked confused. "So where did he get the weapon story?"

Violet laughed nervously. "I... may have thrown my paper throwing star at him."

"He was afraid of paper?" Sebastian repeated in disbelief.

The farmer defended her craftsmanship, "To be fair, I had spray-painted it silver and - because I'm a fucking nerd - had learned to throw them correctly." She gestured the general size with his hands, "And while it wasn't big, it's made with a bunch of folds like origami, so it was dense and decently pointy - for paper." Violet smiled guiltily, but it was clear she was not at all ashamed of what she did. "Apparently I made it well enough that one of the points stuck into the drywall." She flashed a wicked grin that confirmed Sebastian's suspicions about her lack of remorse, "He about pissed himself and got out of there quick after that."

Sebastian let out a nervous chuckle. "I'll bet he did," he replied, finding deep satisfaction in imaging the look on this Kyle guy's stupid face when he fled in terror. "You _are_ a fucking nerd, but that was a pretty badass way to get rid of a guy," Sebastian admitted teasingly, though his thoughts went to the replica mace he kept in his room. Maybe he could finally take that out of its hiding place, now that he knew there was another person in town that might find it just as interesting.

"So... I guess now you know." Violet reclined, resting her elbows on the step level to her waist as she could feel the impending crash from the alcohol in combination with both physical and mental exhaustion.

Her cobalt eyes glanced at Sebastian, who took it as a queue to lean back as well, thought it was not quite as comfortable as he hoped. Clearly Violet's standards were a lot lower in her state of intoxication. Sebastian sat silently with Violet for a moment, before he dared to speak up. "I have one other question..."

"Fire away, 'Bastian," Violet yawned, resting her head on the closest available step.

Sebastian began slowly. "When I overheard you talking to my mom..." He tugged at his sleeve anxiously before he continued, "...You said there was someone you thought about all the time."

There was a long pause and Sebastian felt Violet's forehead press up against his arm. "It's you, dummy!" she replied grumpily, as if Sebastian were keeping her from a desperately needed nap. Her hair draped across her face in her reclined position, but from what little of her face he could see, Sebastian could tell that Violet was red-faced. "I feel... comfortable around you. Like I can be myself - with all my quirks and weirdo habits." Her tone softened, "And I never felt that way around _him_."

Sebastian tugged at his tapered bangs self-consciously, unsure of what to say at first. "I..."

A weak sigh escaped Violet's lips. "It's stupid, I know, but I'm scared that I'll lose all my friends again. I really _like_ having friends," she stated decisively, her eyes still closed as she curled up as best as one could on stairs. "Everyone in Pelican Town is so nice to me and I don't know what I'd do if I got shunned by the people I enjoy being with again." Sebastian could hear Violet's voice crack slightly. "So just - I know you waited for Abigail for a long time and that didn't work out - but would you just - like, keep being my friend and prove to my paranoid brain that this isn't just a bad reboot?" Sebastian felt a tug on his hoodie and saw that Violet's fingers held fast to the fabric. The volume of her words decreased drastically as she spoke. "Please... continue to be patient with me. Just keep being you..."

Shortly after, Sebastian heard Violet's slow, even breathing that indicated she had fallen asleep. "That can't be comfortable," he thought aloud with a chuckle. "But I guess you really do trust me well enough if you fall asleep around me all the time." He felt a bit bolder, knowing that Violet could not hear what he had to say in her state of unconsciousness. "I feel comfortable around you, too, Violet," he confessed to the sleeping farmer. "And yet I've never felt more nervous about looking like an idiot around a girl before..." He shrugged, "I'll admit I don't get you sometimes, but... I don't think I'd have it any other way."

After a few moments of silent star-gazing, Sebastian's fingers brushed up against the nicotine patch on his arm. "I didn't think I'd ever feel like this, but... here you are." Sebastian felt another tug on his hoodie as Violet snaked her arms around the arm closest to her. He exhaled sharply in both amusement and surprise as he smiled down at the sleeping farmer.

"You staking a claim, too?" he laughed. "Krobus said that all the magical creatures in town think we're a thing. Sorry if that's... awkward. I guess it's my fault," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "I mean, it's weirdly possessive to call dibs on someone, even if it is by accident." The hoodie-clad man paused, "Though I can't say I... hate the idea. Of us - I mean. Not like being possessive. Sorry, that's probably weird." The dark-haired man continued to ramble on, "I saw Krobus the other night. He apologized for scaring you that night you walked home without me from the beach. Apparently he tried to talk to you and chickened out." At this point, Sebastian did not bother trying to stop himself, "Krobus referred to us as 'Mother of the Forest' and 'Commander of the Dead.' I'm not gonna lie, that sounds pretty badass, but I have no idea what he's talking about."

"I'll have to try to get in contact with Krobus again, but..." Sebastian sighed, "I wonder if the title has anything to do with my dad?" he mused aloud tapping the heel of his boots into the hard-packed earth at his feet. "Mom still hasn't told me much, though she promised she would be the end of the year." The young man drummed his fingers on the steps impatiently, knowing fully well that his mom could wait until Winter before he got any real answers. "Maybe I'll do some digging of my own..."

Violet let out a particularly breathy exhale and Sebastian wondered if she might be stirring awake, but the young woman simply adjusted her position - still clutching Sebastian's arm like a security blanket. Before Sebastian realized what he was doing, his fingers gently brushed the hair away from her face. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight...

* * *

Sebastian was unsure how long he contented himself sitting on the porch watching the night sky with Violet cuddled up against him, but he nearly fell over when the door to the farmhouse behind him opened and Maru and Penny came out to head home for the night.

He cleared his throat, "She... fell asleep," Sebastian informed the two women as he did his best to scoop her up in his arms. He blushed, suddenly realizing that it was probably improper of him to have kept her with him this entire time. "I should get her inside."

Maru nodded in understanding and cleared the way for her brother. When he passed through the threshold, the woman Sebastian could only assume was Bex immediately got up to help him.

"Oye, mi idiota adorible," the tall, walnut-hued woman scolded, though not loudly enough to wake the pale farmer. "I can take her from here," she offered.

"I-it's okay," Sebastian replied, trying to play it cool, as he held Violet in his arms. "I've got her." The house was different on the inside since the last time he had been here. His mother must have made a recent house upgrade.

"Have it your way," Bex relented and led him toward Violet's bedroom. Sebastian set her down gently and her friend glared at him, " _Now_ I'll take Violet from here," she informed the hoodie-clad man, shooing him out of the room.

"Yes, ma'am," Sebastian replied, trying to hide the fact that he found Bex's height a bit intimidating, as he headed back toward the exit of the house.

"Hasta mañana," the woman said dismissively, prying off Violet's boots.

Sebastian felt incredibly self-conscious as he re-entered the main room. Leah and Haley sat closely together on the couch, their eyes following him curiously as headed toward the door. He uttered a good-bye to break the unnerving quiet, "Ugh, night, everyone. See you all tomorrow."

"Bye, Sebastian!" Emily called after him in a friendly tone while the other two laughed as he closed the door behind him. The young man exhaled his nerves and lifted his head to find that Maru and Penny had waited for him.

It made sense, he supposed, that way he could help walk Penny home and Maru got home safely. "Did... you all have fun?" Sebastian asked, trying to make conversation as he trailed behind his sister and her best friend.

Penny nodded, "Yes, we did," she replied, much to Sebastian's surprise. The hoodie-clad man could not recall the last time Penny had addressed him. It was then he noticed they both wore cloth caps on their heads, covering their hair. Must be some beauty routine. Sebastian was surprised that Maru even participated in all this at all. It was unlike her. But then again, lots of things had changed this Spring.

Luckily, Penny and Maru did not try to talk to him much more on the way to the trailer, and once Penny was safely inside, Maru opted to walk the rest of the way home together in silence. Once they got inside the house, however, Maru turned to face him. "This is for you," she handed him a tiny jar. "Bex said to rub it onto your hands, run them through your hair, and 'have fun with it.'"

Sebastian furrowed his brow, "What is it?" He held up the small glass jar to inspect it.

"Hair clay," Maru informed him, putting down her bag by the door. "I told her that your hair isn't particularly thick, so she thought that should do the trick without making your hair greasy or crusty." She face stretched into a satisfied grin, "I learned all sort of things today!" his younger sister chuckled, turning to head into her bedroom.

"What's with that thing on your head?" Maru's older brother finally questioned, curiosity haven gotten the better of him.

Maru winked at him behind her ruby red glasses. "You'll find out tomorrow, big bro." The scientist then disappeared into her room.

Sebastian lingered in the shop for a moment and stared at the jar in the palm of his hand. Why would someone give him this stuff? Sebastian considered for a moment. Then again, if all the girls were making more of an effort this year, the guys were going to look even more stupid by comparison with their powder blue suits. The programmer sighed as he pocketed the hair clay. If Violet's best friend was suggesting it, he supposed he could give it a shot. Worst-case scenario he could wash it out quickly in the shower.

The dark-haired man lie in bed for what seemed like ages, trying to fall asleep. But inevitably, his mind would wander back to what Violet said to him this evening. The words that had struck him most replayed in his mind in a loop: "I associate you with 'home' now... The dark-haired man rest his forearm on his head, covering his eyes.

Sebastian usually felt so anxious around people, but with Violet it felt so weirdly natural. The programmer could not believe his luck that Violet felt the same. He smiled to himself and the usual lump he felt in the pit of his stomach began to dissipate. Was this was it was like to know someone liked you back? Suddenly this whole dance was more than just a tradition in which the old people enjoyed making the younger generation wear tacky suits and dresses. Sebastian was a terrible dancer and his usual partner - Abigail - was likely to dance with her boyfriend. What if Violet asked him to dance and he stepped on her toes like a total idiot? Or, should he ask her to dance? The thoughts racing through his head did not help his insomnia.


	39. Singles Shuffle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Flower Dance has finally arrived and already the usual couples are disrupted by Sam and Abigail's new relationship.

Violet awoke the next morning to the sounds of voices in the next room. Thankfully, her head did not throb nearly as badly as she expected, probably due to Bex's insistence that she down several glasses of water when she finally entered the house again.

As her memory of last night's events flooded back, Violet recalled that Abigail and Sam had left almost immediately, leaving her alone with Sebastian. Violet paled, remembering the conversation - or rather her speech. "Shit!" she cursed to herself. "I told him! That was practically a _confession!_ " she held her head in her hands. "What I am going to do?"

Bex's head popped into the bedroom. "You're going to get your ass outta bed and get ready, chica," her best friend ordered. "¡Llegas tarde!" The cosmetologist pointed a finger to a chair in the corner of the room where Violet's dress lay. "Rápidamente, conejita," Bex commanded, slapping the back of her hand to the opposite palm. "I'm finishing up Haley now, so you're next after we make a fresh batch of those strawberry cheesecake chimichangas."

For a moment Violet's anxieties were overridden by Bex's displeasure with her. Moving quickly, Violet performed her morning hygiene rituals and then donned her new dress, fastening the deep blue ribbon around her waist to tie everything together. The soft dress bore a v-neckline that showed a relatively modest amount of cleavage, the sleeves were loose and flowing, reaching her elbows. The skirt of the dress flared out slightly beyond her waist and trailed down just above her knees. It looked amazing. "Emily is the best!" she gasped in surprise. It fit her so well that Violet was almost thankful that Maru had deceived her and caused this whole stolen shirt debacle. Almost.

When she finally emerged from her bedroom, Violet found that only Haley and Emily had returned. Haley sat still as a statue as Bex twisted her hair into an elegant, braided bun. The blonde's white dress exposed her bare shoulders but the neckline itself was a key-hole slit in the center. Haley's dress was proportionally about the same length as Violet's, though the blonde was taller than the farmer.

A knock came at the door. It was Leah, who wore a loose asymmetrical dress that, in combination with the delicate braids adorned with baby's breath that zig-zagged across the back of her flowing red locks, likened her appearance to a Greek goddess. Since her hair was already style, Violet assumed she must have been here earlier and returned. "I brought some brunch!" Leah announced, laying a few things out on the table.

"Brunch?" Violet thought out loud. Her dark blue eyes widened in shock when she saw the clock, "It's already ten!" The farmer's face paled when she realized how much she had overslept. "We're late!" she announced in a panic. "Mayor Lewis said it starts at _nine_!"

Abigail shrugged, her pale shoulders peeking out of the split sleeves of her flared, knee-length dress. Her amethyst hair was swept back in a high ponytail and daisies - likely attached to pins - adorned the base of the ponytail. "No one actually goes that early," she explained casually, leaning back onto the couch, and fiddling with the cowl around her neck. "The party lasts till about eight or nine and then everyone helps with tear-down and heads home for the night."

Violet exhaled in relief. The last thing she wanted to do was to show up late and interrupt an important part of the dance. "Well, is there anything I can do to help anyone get ready?"

"You could help with these flower crowns," Emily suggested, calling the pastel-haired woman over to the kitchen table. "I'm making one for everyone this year." There were piles of daisies and baby's breath separated into stacks that were likely how many were needed for each crown. It had been a long time since Violet had made one, but she tried her best. "Emily, I love that dress. It's very chic," the farmer complimented Emily's style. "Did you make it?" The fashion-lover wore what appeared to be a cross between a sequins-less flapper dress with the handkerchief hemline on the lower half and a sleeveless Chinese cheongsam for the top portion. Emily decided to use only one daisy on her flower crown as an off-center accent.

"I'm glad I finally get a chance to show it off!" Emily replied, tying together a string of tiny white flowers. "I've been working on it a long time."

Violet was floored that someone could make something that looked so complicated, "You're so talented, Emily. I'm impressed."

Emily thanked Violet for the flattering comments when a triumphant voice interrupted. "Finished!" Bex proclaimed, her lime green ponytail swaying as she tilted her head to see Haley's face. The hair dresser handed the blond a small hand mirror. "What do you think?"

Haley beamed immediately when she saw the finished result. "It's gorgeous!" she breathed, holding the mirror at different angles to examine the bun. "Please teach me how to do this!"

"It's definitely more difficult to do it on yourself, but I'll see what I can do," the cosmetologist explained. She glanced up at Violet, "Chica, let's get those desserts made and then we can get ready ourselves."

Abigail sighed longingly, "I better head out," she said, gathering her things. "I promised to meet Sam so we could walk to the dance together." Her light blue eyes spied the ingredients Violet and Bex collected on the kitchen counter. "Besides, if I stick around, it'll be torturous not to be able to eat those right away, whatever they are."

The other three women watched curiously as Violet and Bex made fresh strawberry cheesecake chimichangas. "That smells amazing," Leah half-complained when the chimichangas hit the pan and the aroma wafted throughout the house, knowing she would not be able to eat them until later.

"I'll let you have first bite, hermosa," Rebecca offered with a flirtatious smile. Leah was oblivious to the signs that Bex was attracted to her, but Haley seemed to catch on. The blonde frowned and disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, though Violet was not sure why.

When the women were finally finished with their decadent creations, Bex worked on Violet's head next. The simple style did not take long, it just required a bit more skills to integrate the circlet into the braids that wrapped around to the back of her head before they joined at the middle and trailed downward. "Hey, Emily! Can I get a few of those baby's breath over here?"

"Of course," the sapphire-haired woman nodded, bringing over the desired flowers. Bex quickly placed the tiny white flowers in a decorative position. "¡Que linda eres!" she exclaimed happily.

"Rebecca, do you need any help?" Emily offered. It was the least she could do with all the work she put forth for everyone else.

"Do you know how to do a loose plait?" the cosmetologist questioned the barkeep.

Emily nodded and Rebecca sat in the designated chair so the fashion-conscious woman could get to work. Luckily, since Bex had already separated her pink hair from the green with the ponytail, all Emily really had to do was the braiding itself. After a few minutes, she finished and Bex took the hand mirror to inspect her work. "Muy bonita, gracias," the taller woman praised. Bex quickly did her make-up which comprised of many bright, bold colors that complemented her warm brown skin. Then she entered the bedroom and soon emerged in a crisp white tuxedo dress.

The fashionista gasped with delight, "Bex that is such a lovely look on you! Did you get the idea from Billy Porter's black tuxedo gown?"

Bex posed with her hand on her hip, "Well, Billy Porter for the top half, for sure. But that much gown on the bottom was impractical for a baile." It was true, from the front the outfit appeared to be a regular tuxedo until the waist, when the dress became an asymmetrical skirt, showing off the stunning contrast between the white of the dress and her darker skin tone from mid-thigh down.

"I love it!" Emily squealed, asking Bex who created the dress. It was a friend from NuNu, one Violet had never heard Bex mention. Of course her best friend was going to make new friends. Rebecca was the kind of extrovert who collected creative minds around her, purposefully or not. It was inevitable that Violet would feel a little left behind, right?

Violet looked at the time as it neared one in the afternoon. "We should get going!" the farmer reminded everyone.

"Haley, you coming?" Emily called to her sister, who quickly emerged from the bathroom. Violet thought her eyes looked a little red. Perhaps it was allergies?

* * *

Sebastian lingered in his normal spot by the table where all the food was displayed, tugging at the sleeves of his suit. He hated the damn thing. But at least the matching suits looked stupid on all the guys, at least. Sebastian's dark orbs glanced at Shane, who had already begun digging into some of the snacks. "Mmm... excellent sauce," the grazer said to himself as he slurped down some of the turkey.

"Hey, Sebby!" a male voice called. It was Sam and with him was Abigail. Sebastian noticed right away that Abigail looked different, more confident in herself than she had for a long time. "You're not wearing the usual Flower Dance dress..." Sebastian observed.

Abigail smirked, "The single ladies of Pelican Town - well, and me," she corrected herself, glancing at her boyfriend, "took a vote and decided to have a little fun this year." The grin on the amethyst-haired woman's face widened, "We technically are respecting the tradition by wearing white, but this is way more fun."

Sebastian sighed, looking around the field. At least all the young men were still wearing the traditional suits, so it's not like he didn't get a memo or something. Still, if all the other women looked half as good as Abigail, this was going to be embarrassing.

It was then the introvert noticed that Sam wore his thick blond hair back in a high bun, rather than his normal spiky look. "I see you're trying some new things, too..."

Sam frowned at his best friend, "Yeah, and you didn't!"

"I didn't know what the hell to do with it!" Sebastian shot back defensively, fishing the tiny jar of styling clay out of his pocket. "What kind of instructions are 'have fun?'" he demanded.

Abigail shook her head and snatched the jar from Sebastian's open palm. "Oh, for fuck's sake!" she growled as she rubbed the clay between her hands and worked it into Sebastian's hair. The dark-haired man became catatonic as his friend ran her fingers through his hair and pushed it back away from his face. Sam cackled at the look on Sebastian's face, but gave him a thumbs up once Abigail was satisfied. "Looking sharp, fam."

Part of Sebastian worried this was a prank his friends were playing, but it was not like he could fix it now. He couldn't see himself, after all. "Whatever, just as long as it doesn't make me look like an idiot."

The blond winked at his best friend, "Nah, you'll probably do that all by yourself when V shows up."

Sebastian flushed slightly, but caught himself. "We all look dumb in these clothes anyway," he growled grumpily. It was not really a defense against Sam's prediction, but he silently hoped that Violet would not think he looked terrible.

* * *

Emily and Haley had gone on ahead with the desserts so that Violet could help Bex with the equipment she wanted to bring. "I'll bet these vecinos of yours don't have proper dance music," the bilingual woman muttered to herself. There was likely to be no power source in the middle of a field, so Bex brought the largest battery-powered speaker she could carry.

"So is this going to be a peaceful or hostile take-over?" Violet joked, ribbing her best friend with her elbow.

Bex straightened her posture, "It will be whatever the Mayor decides to make it with his reaction," she pronounced tersely. "Besides, the old people can have their spectacle, but then I'm going to open the dancing to everyone to spice things up." She had learned the night before from the villagers that typically the only dance at the Flower Dance was the one between the young couples. Bex was not about to have that. "Fuck that, vamos a darle vida a las cosas este año," she had declared, which was met by the cheers of the local women who did not understand the Spanish, but could understand the sentiment from her tone.

As they approached the clearing, Violet could hear voices up ahead. Pierre, ever the businessman, had a booth set up to sell goods right as you entered. "I'm going to check these out," Violet informed Bex. You go on ahead."

Bex grinned. Violet had unintentionally given her a window without her small friend in tow to stop her. She quickly set the music player down and went to work. "¡Oye, Emily!" the bilingual called out to Emily. "Could you please introduce me to a few people?"

Emily flashed her a friendly smile, "Who did you have in mind?"

* * *

After purchasing a cute "female" scarecrow in a plum-colored shirt and overalls from Pierre and chatting him up politely for a while, Violet decided it was time to join the party. The first group she spotted as she turned the corner included Harvey, Penny, and Maru and Violet had been intoxicated enough the night before to still be surprised by Penny's new hair color. "Oh, Penny! You are so cute as a brunette!" the new farmer gushed to the new brunette as she approached the teacher. "It really makes your green eyes pop!"

Penny blushed at the compliment. "Thank you," she replied, brushing the long skirt of her white dress. "I like it a lot, too..." The square neckline and the bishop sleeves of her dress made the shy teacher look like a medieval noblewoman. Her locks, no longer bound up in the bun at the nape of her neck, fell in gentle waves just past her shoulders and she wore a flower crown of daisies and baby's breath.

Maru, whose transformation Violet had not witnessed, was even more of a shock, however. "MARU! You look amazing!" Violet squealed. The scientist's tight curls made her hair into a voluminous auburn cloud surrounding her head. It was toppled to one side, with a few white flowers adorning the part, likely attached to a barrette to pin them in place. Her dress was not as long as Penny's but well past the knee and the wide-shoulder neckline showed off her bare arms and the simple gold necklace that graced her collarbone. The younger woman beamed happily at Violet, "Thank you. You look pretty, too."

Harvey, who remained silent since Violet arrived, looked uncomfortable in his periwinkle suit and adjusted his glasses. Violet felt a bit sorry for all the men who wore such silly suits, but thought it best to compliment the doctor anyway. "You clean up very nicely, Dr. Harvey."

The mustached man cleared his throat, clearly caught off-guard by Violet's words. He returned the compliment awkwardly, "Uh... thank you, Violet. You also... look very nice, too."

"So do you all even enjoy this dance or is it just a thing we all have to do as young, unmarried people?" Violet asked the group, since Harvey looked so miserable.

Maru sighed, "I like dancing, but this one is a little stilted." Her dark eyes glanced over to those in her parents' generation and above, "The old timers really love it, though."

Violet nodded in understanding, then posed a secondary question. "So how does the pairing up work? Guys ask girls, girls ask guys, free-for-all?"

Penny chimed in this time. "You can ask whoever you want, Violet. But I think that Sam and Abigail are already taken." The newly-minted brunette clarified, "Since they _are_ a couple now..." Penny's emerald orbs fixed on the ground in front of her as she twiddled her thumbs in front of her. The teacher gulped. "...I'm nervous," she said breathlessly.

Harvey took an interest. "Are you planning on asking someone this year, Penny? You usually dance with Sam and Sebastian would always dance with Abigail. Are you asking Sebastian, then?"

The brunette shook her head vigorously, "No, not Sebastian..." Her gaze met Maru's and she immediately began to backpedal. "Oh, not that there is anything wrong with your brother, Maru. I just -"

Maru placed a gentle hand on Penny's arm. "It's okay, Penny. I know," she laughed. "Don't worry. I'm sure Elliott will say 'yes.'"

The doctor seemed surprised by this news. "I'm also working up the courage to ask someone to dance with me," Harvey shared in solidarity with Penny.

The scientist smiled, "Oh, you're asking someone else this year, Harvey?" she inquired. "Who is it?"

Harvey's eyes grew wide behind his wide-rimmed glasses. Maru had completely misinterpreted what he meant. Usually, it was she who asked him to dance each year and he had hoped to be the proactive party this year. "I... uh..." he stumbled over what to say next.

Violet felt badly for the poor man. Quickly, she figured a way to give him an out while also helping Penny. "Penny, would it help if one of us went over with you to ask Elliott? For moral support?"

Penny nodded and reached her hand out to her best friend, "Oh, Maru! Won't you come with me?" Maru, of course, agreed and the two wandered off toward the riverbank, where Elliott and Leah stood watching the water. Violet looked at Harvey, who looked a bit crestfallen. "If you were going to ask me, now's your chance," she teased.

"Oh!" The doctor chuckled nervously as he adjusted his tie. "I'm sorry... I, er... have plans to ask someone else."

The farmer pulled her lips back into a smile, trying to assure the doctor that she was not offended. "Well, I wish you luck!" Violet said before dismissing herself to find her missing best friend.

Clint, who appeared to gravitate toward another solitary male, came and stood by Harvey. "I wonder if Emily would dance with me?" he wondered aloud.

The local doctor's mustache twitched as he spoke, "It seems we're in the same boat, Clint." Both men bobbed their heads in agreement, but neither of them made any movement toward asking their desired dance partners.

* * *

Bex was on a mission. Emily had kindly introduced her to Caroline and Robin, Abigail and Sebastian and Maru's mothers, respectively. "Oh, you must be Violet's friend from NuNu," Robin assumed correctly. "I'm Robin, Maru's told me all about you."

Jodi's eyebrows rose in surprise, "You're the one that helped all the girls today?" She leaned in toward the younger woman, "This even got Sam trying to look nice for the occasion," the happy mother informed the cosmetologist with a satisfied grin. "Thank you, sweetie. Today will make for great pictures of the two of them..."

The bilingual woman did her best to charm both the women into getting the information she required. Bex smirked to herself as she hopped the northern fence and approached the base of the cliff. Caroline pointed out the man's location to her and she was not about to let this guy go without getting answers.

The rock face was only about twenty to twenty-five feet off the ground. That should not be too difficult for someone over six feet tall, right? The woman removed her shoes and tested her grip on the wall. Bex's grip held firm and she lifted herself off the ground. She was surprised by the numerous handholds, but that was all the better. Grunting, the determined scaled up the cliff in a matter of minutes.

As she raised her elbow onto the grassy land above her, Bex pulled herself up onto the ledge. Her target, the man with questionable fashion sense, jumped in surprise as she rose to her full height. "You shouldn't be up here," he told her calmly, having regained his composure.

"I hear... you have 'magic'... hair dye that doesn't fade," the cosmetologist panted. "What do I have to do to get some?"

Rasmodius blinked in surprise. "You came all the way up here for a simple cosmetic potion?"

Bex smirked. "Why, do I get something better from my efforts?"

* * *

Violet spied Linus standing alone on the eastern edge of the field. "Hi, Linus!" she greeted the wild man. "How are you doing today?"

His amber eyes flickered in her direction. "Oh, hello there," he replied, visibly relaxing once he realized who was speaking. "It's nice of you to talk to me."

"Well, festivals are a time to socialize," the farmer said, taking a spot beside him to watch over the rest of the party-goers.

The old man sighed wistfully, the leaves on his clothes rustling. "Spring is almost over... what a shame."

Tilting her head toward him, Violet asked, "Is Spring your favorite season, Linus?"

Linus pondered the question for a moment. "It is the easiest season for someone living outdoors, I would say. Summer can get quite hot..." he explained. "And Fall starts out nice but only gets colder. But the livability of the Spring is not why it is my favorite. Looking at all these well-dressed young ladies and gentleman remind me of my youth." The man saw Violet's curious look and shook his head, "But all that is in the past now. Just an old man reminiscing of days long gone..."

Violet thought it was odd that Linus brought up a topic and was unwilling to expand on his meaning, but the farmer had decided the last time she conversed with the tent-dweller that she would try to gain his trust. Even Violet could recognize that far-off stare as someone who was not seeing what was directly in front of them, but rather an old memory. "Well, if things ever do get too rough, my door is always open to visitors."

Once again, Linus shook his head, his white beard swishing back and forth as he did so. "That is a kind offer, young lady. But I have my reasons for living outside. I prefer it, it makes me feel like I'm atton-" His shoulders slumped as cut himself off. "Well, anyway, you should enjoy the party and quit hanging out with an old man."

 _I feel like there's something he's hiding..._ the young woman thought to herself. "If you say so..." Violet replied hesitantly as she continued to make her rounds and look for Bex. "Enjoy the rest of the dance."

* * *

"Oh, dear," Penny panted, slightly panicked. "Maru, I feel ill. I can't do this," she informed her best friend, trying to reverse their course away from the river.

Maru held firm to the brunette's hand and stood her ground. "You can do this, Penny," the scientist said encouragingly, her tight curls bouncing slightly as she looked down at the terrified woman.

Penny's deep green eyes focused on Maru's umber ones and she nodded. "You always know how to help me find my courage," she told the researcher sincerely. The teacher inhaled deeply and released the breath sharply, trying to expel her anxiety. "Here I go..."

"You can do it!" Maru cheered in a whisper, making sure to keep a respectable distance. She did not want to hover, but Maru still wanted to assure Penny that she was not alone.

Leah was the first to notice Penny's approach. "Hi, Penny. Glad to see you here."

Elliott turned to face the teacher and his amber eyes widened noticeably. "Why, miss Penelope..." he stated in hardly more than a breathless whisper. Leah glanced at Elliott and for once in his life, the verbose poet seemed to be at a loss for words. Penny blushed as the man continued to stare, drinking in the sight of her. Penny fiddled with the skirt of her dress nervously and Leah decided it was time to intervene. She jabbed Elliott with her elbow, making it look like an accident.

The artist's method worked, however, and Elliott cleared his throat. "My apologies, miss Penelope. I am afraid I lost myself for a moment," he told Penny, abashed. "I thought that perhaps - Well, that is to say that I..." The man's face paled as he stumbled over his words.

The ginger's mouth hung open in disbelief. "What's this?" she laughed. "Cat got your silver tongue, Elli?"

"You look positively breath-taking, miss Penelope," Elliott finished decisively. He glanced at his best friend, as if looking for permission.

Leah scoffed, "Oh, go on! I'll find someone else. Don't worry about it."

Penny was confused by the exchange, until Elliott extended a hand toward his fellow bibliophile. "Miss Penelope, would you grace me with the honor of being my partner for the dance today?"

The two stared at each other, Penny's emerald eyes fixed upon Elliott's honey-hued ones for several moments before Penny reached out to take Elliott's open palm. "I-I would be delighted..." she squeaked in response.

Elliott brought Penny's hand to his lips. "Wonderful. I shall be the luckiest man among us today," he stated, beaming with palpable joy. "Would you join me at the refreshment table? I am feeling a bit parched."

"Oh! O-of course," Penny responded, taking the arm that Elliott offered her. The teacher blushed profusely, but she spied Maru, who gave her an encouraging wave. "Thank you," Penny mouthed to her best friend as she was led away by Elliott toward the pastel pink table on the other end of the field. "You look very handsome today, Elliott," she said, finally returning the man's compliment.

He beamed, "I wore my best shirt for the dance..." Elliott admitted with a small chuckle. "This sort of thing doesn't happen very often!"

"Thank you for asking me - to dance, I mean," Penny clarified. "I was having trouble working up the courage to ask you myself..."

Elliott's head tilted toward his companion, his almond-colored hair rippling as he did so. "I am deeply touched that you even made the attempt, Miss Penelope," he replied earnestly and flashing his teeth in a charismatic manner. "It is good to feel wanted..."

Penny nodded in agreement, but was too overwhelmed to say much. She simply held fast to Elliott's arm and smiled shyly to herself as he began to talk about the progress he had made on his novel. The brunette was so happy from the butterflies in her stomach. Penny felt like she was floating.

* * *

Maru tapped her finger to her chin, pondered whom she should ask to dance. Since Harvey planned on asking someone else, the scientist would need to find someone new as well. Shane was likely to say 'no' immediately because of their lack of friendly associations. Sam was taken and while Maru had abandoned her plots to assist Violet getting Sebastian to agree to dance with her due to other circumstances, it would be weird to pair up with her brother. Elliott was already dancing with Penny, so that left... Alex. Or any of the women. Abigail was of course going to dance with Sam. Emily was likely to be Shane's choice. Haley was an option, she supposed, but they did not know each other at all. The same went for Leah.

She _had_ been spending time with Alex lately. Perhaps he would be a suitable partner.

As Maru passed Haley practicing her dance moves, the athlete saw her approach. The spiky-haired man look confused, furrowing his brow as if trying to concentrate. "Is that... you, Maru?" he asked in astonishment. "You look different."

The young scientist glanced down at her appearance. "I suppose it is unusual for me to wear a dress."

"Well, sure," Alex agreed, "but like, your hair looks..." He trailed off, trying to find the right word, but "really cool" was all he could muster.

This surprised Maru. Usually when complimenting women on their appearance Alex made suggestive comments about their figure or clothing. Secondarily, Alex had called her by her actual name, rather than "glasses" or some variation. "You look better in that suit than most," Maru returned with a teasing grin.

The young man shrugged, "Well, it's not the style anymore, but I can pull off most anything..." he replied confidently.

"Are you enjoying the scenery?" Maru queried him, drumming up conversation.

Alex smirked. "You could say that," he chuckled, his gaze habitually drawn to Haley's dancing for a brief moment. The jock shook his head, resetting his attention to the woman beside him. "So what's up? You here to tell me how well I've done this week?"

Maru shook her head, "No, but we can talk about that later if you would like." She paused, but less out of hesitation than preparation. The researcher looked up to make direct eye contact, which would show confidence. "Would you like to dance with me, Alex?"

"You want to be my partner for the flower dance?" Alex repeated quizzically.

The bespectacled woman nodded in affirmation. "That's right."

Alex considered a moment before he flaunted his winning smile once again. "Okay. I look forward to it."

* * *

In her search for Bex, Violet came upon Marnie and Marlon. They stood close to one another, but not together. There was an awkward silence between the two. On the one hand because Marlon appeared highly interested in speaking to Marnie, but the woman did not even seem to notice his presence. Instead, she gazed longingly across the open field toward none other than Mayor Lewis.

Marnie sighed as the farmer approached. "Love is in the air..." she exhaled forlornly. "And I'm still single." She patted Violet's shoulder absently, "Make sure you find a man who appreciates you, Violet. Not all of them are capable, I've discovered." There was a bitterness in her tone that made the farmer wary of saying much else, so she backed away slowly and decided to greet Marlon.

"That sword you gave me works great, Marlon," Violet informed the rugged old man. "Thanks for giving it to me."

Marlon gave a low chuckle, "Glad to hear it, miss. Slay ten of those slimes and you can enter the Adventurer's Guild."

Violet's head sloped to one side. "There's a guild?"

"Sure is," he informed the new adventurer as he shifted his weight. "It also doubles as my place of residence. More convenient that way, you know." His grey eyes fell upon the rancher nearby. "Marnie looks lovely today..." he mumbled to himself.

The old man did not expect that Violet heard and jumped slightly when she made an inquiry. "So are you going to ask her to dance, then?" He blinked, processing her words.

"I - Well, the dance is for the young people," he explained, backtracking his words. "But maybe if there's something later on that doesn't look too... involved," Marlon added, tapping the brace on his bad leg.

"Oh, right. My apologies, Marlon." Violet flushed in embarrassment. That was the second time she had inadvertently insulted him. Marlon simply laughed it off, however.

"Nah, kid. Don't pay it any mind," he instructed the farmer. "I keep it covered for a reason. I don't want special treatment!"

Violet pondered momentarily before asking, "May I ask what happened?"

Marlon grinned. "Oh, let's just call it a 'mining accident' involving a couple of big ol' snakes," he chortled. "Got the snakes, but not before they took a nice parting gift. Nasty buggers."

The young woman paled imagining the size of the serpents that injured Marlon's leg and took his left eye. Violet hoped that they were venomous rather than giants that could swallow her whole. "Oh..."

* * *

"Woah, stop," Shane ordered, stopping Emily mid-bite into her food. "That sauce is about to drip all over you," he explained, holding a napkin under her mouth to catch the offending liquid. It plopped neatly into the folds of the napkin and he pulled it away. "There, fashion crisis averted," he chuckled, crumpling the paper and tossing it in the trash.

"My hero," Emily said sweetly. "I worked really hard on this dress, it would be a shame if it got ruined..."

Shane looked surprised, "Oh, so you made that one? Nice! It's very... unique, just like you." _Fuck, 'unique' makes it sound like a bad thing. What the hell, Shane?_ he berated himself internally.

"Thanks," she replied, seemingly undisturbed by Shane's comment. "I made Violet's too!"

The man scoffed, "You're so talented," he began. "Why the hell do you hang out with a loser like me?"

Emily looked troubled, "Oh, Shane. I wish you wouldn't talk about yourself like that," she shared, the corner of her lips pointed downward in a serious frown. "You have so much to offer!"

Shane shrugged, "Whatever you say, Emily..." he muttered, noticing that he had yet to finish some of his chips and salsa. He dug in with gusto.

Exhaling deeply, she patted her stomach. "I'm stuffed," Emily announced. Her russet eyes rested on the man standing beside her at the table, "Hey, have you tried the red jelly yet?" she asked Shane.

"Ob korse ay haff, eets grate!" he responded, his mouth stuffed with one of the salsas. "Ah, this green stuff is _spicy_!" he exclaimed, shoveling another bit into his mouth. As he munched the chips, he let out a cry of pain.

Out of concern, the sapphire-haired woman inquired after his well-being. "Are you okay?"

Shane grumbled grumpily. "Just bit my tongue like an idiot, no big deal."

Emily laughed, "That's just like you, silly." She fished a cube out of the ice bucket and handed it to him. "Here, this should help..."

"Heh. Thanks." The dark-haired man took it and popped it in his mouth, allowing it to rest on the wounded part of his tongue. "So... uh... you have a partner for the flower dance yet?" Shane solicited casually.

"No one has asked me, if that's what you're wondering," Emily replied with a little bump to his arm. "Was there someone you had in mind this year?"

The husky man coughed slightly, some of the melting water from his ice cube trickling down the wrong side of his throat. _Why do I always fumble around her?_ he thought in annoyance. "I wondered if you might be my partner again this year?" he questioned, squeezing his eyes shut in case she rejected him.

He could tell from her voice that she was smiling. "I would love to be your partner, Shane," she assured him. "Would you like to practice a little? I want to make sure I remember the steps correctly."

The dance really was not that complicated, but who was he to turn Emily down? "Sure," he agreed, setting his empty plate down on the table and following his dance partner toward the center of the clearing.

* * *

Haley did not wait for Violet to speak as she approached. "I'm practicing my dance moves..." she informed the farmer curtly. "It needs to be perfect. I've been flower queen for the past 5 years and I'm not ready to step off the throne just yet!"

"That's uh... great Haley. I'm happy for you," the pastel-haired woman tried to sound genuine, but her worry did not allow her proper energy to care about offending the blonde at the moment. "Have you seen Bex anywhere?"

The taller woman stopped her dancing for a moment. "She's missing?" Violet nodded in response. "I found the speaker she brought for later, but I haven't seen her anywhere. I'm starting to worry..."

The blonde sighed and reluctantly offered her assistance. "Last time I saw Bex, she hopped the fence over by Alex. I don't know where she could have gone, though. It's just a big rock wall beyond that barrier." She pursed her lips thoughtfully, "Before that, she was talking to some of the parents over there." She pointed to the group consisting of Demetrius, Robin, Jodi, and Caroline. "They might have an idea of where she went..."

This information piqued the farmer's interest, "Thank you, Haley! Best of luck being flower queen."

Now was as good a time as any to get Alex to ask her to dance, she supposed. So, Haley sauntered up to her usual dance partner with a pretty smile. "So, Alex... Ready to crush the competition again this year?"

The spiky-haired brunet looked at her guiltily. "Actually, Haley... I'm dancing with Maru this year. She already asked me."

"You WHAT?!" She looked incredible today. How in the world could Alex possibly have chosen that geeky girl over her? This was outrageous! Haley could feel her angry rising up in her. After all the effort she put in to look drop-dead gorgeous and nothing to show for it. "UGH, Leah was right! Fuck pretty boys!" she roared, storming off to get as far away from the athlete as she possibly could.

"Wait, are you saying you wanna have se-?"

"NO!" Haley shot back, hastening her retreat from the clueless man behind her. Shortly afterward, the blonde found Leah by the river, watching the landscape to the south. "Leah!" Haley shouted, far more aggressively than she intended.

Jumping at the sound of her name, Leah turned around to face Haley. "Hi, Haley... What's going on?"

"I _refuse_ to dance with anyone ugly," Haley began, trying to sooth herself before she ruined her chances. "So will you dance with me this year?"

Leah laughed at first, not realizing that the photographer was serious. Her grey eyes flickered to meet Haley's gaze as understanding slowly sank in. "Oh... you - you actually mean that."

"Of course, I do," Haley responded decisively. Now that she had calmed down somewhat, she softened her tone. "So will you be my partner or not?"

"I'll be honest," the artist began. "If it weren't for what you said last night, I would have told you 'no.'" Leah glanced downward slightly at Haley, "But... I guess we could give it a shot," she relented. "Sure, I'll dance with you, Haley."

Haley's blue orbs sparkled with delight, "Oh, I just know we're going to be this year's power couple! C'mon, let's practice!"

"Practice, what for?" Leah queried incredulously, though Haley already grabbed her arm and began to drag her toward the clearing.

"It'll be fun, trust me!" the blonde guaranteed. With a smile like that on Haley's face, Leah could not see the point in arguing.

* * *

Violet hurried toward the parent group in a desperate need to answers. "Hi!" she greeted the quartet all at once.

Jodi gave her a motherly grin, "Are you going to be dancing today, Violet? We can help you find the person you're looking for..." the woman offered and shooting Robin knowing look.

 _Damn small town gossip,_ Violet cursed. _They probably all know about last night from Abigail or Maru._ But now was not the time for that! "Have any of you seen Bex? We arrived together, but she's been missing ever since!"

Caroline looked puzzled. "She came and asked us a few questions, then headed off toward the north end of the field," the emerald-haired woman informed the farmer. "She wondered where Abigail got her hair dye and I told her that Rasmodius normally watches the party from the top of the ridge up there." Abigail's mother indicated the spot with a pointed finger.

"Do you think she actually went up there to speak to him?" Robin wondered aloud. "That would take some dedication..."

Violet sighed in defeat. "Bex would totally do that..." _And be crazy enough to scale that cliff!_ The farmer acknowledged that there was no way she could follow her best friend if Bex had chosen to climb up there. So now what? It would be a shame if Bex missed the dance she literally came here to celebrate.

"I wish Pierre would spend this time with the family..." Caroline stated sadly. "It's a festival day and all he thinks about it work. Who's going to buy anything once the dancing gets started anyway?"

The farmer felt a little guilty for purchasing the scarecrow, but surely her one purchase did not prevent Pierre from joining the rest of the villagers in the fun.

Robin turned to her husband, "Dear, would you go talk to Pierre? Poor Caroline doesn't want to be without him _all_ night."

Demetrius looked puzzled as to why anyone would ask him to complete such a task. "I will... do my best," he replied hesitantly.

"Ahh... The air smells so sweet with all these flowers," the carpenter sighed wistfully. She looked across the field toward Lewis, who appeared to be getting ready to make his announcement to begin the dance. "Better find a partner soon, Violet," she teased the newcomer with a wink.

Violet turned to find that most of the young people had already paired off. "Oh..."

* * *

"I really hate dancing in front of everyone," Abigail griped, crossed her arms and leaning onto the fence. "It's so embarrassing."

Sam tried to win her over, "Hey, but this year you're dancing with me, Abi. That can't be too bad, can it?"

"Who said anything about dancing together?" the amethyst-haired woman countered, gently tapping the poof of hair at the front of her head to make sure it was still intact. Upon seeing Sam's blank expression, she cackled. "I'm only kidding, I'll dance with you. Even if I didn't want to, Mom would make me do it."

"Yay, Caroline," the blond chuckled, wrapping Abigail up in his arms and kissing her cheek. Much like a cat, Abigail leaned away at first but when Sam stopped, she looked annoyed.

"Sebastian, how long are you going to hide over there?" Abigail called over to her friend. "The dance is about to start."

Sebastian muttered to himself about too much social interaction and stress. Hell, he had even tried to speak to Willy and Gus and that ended disastrously. Willy just complained that he did not have his fishing pole on him to kill time. The conversation with Gus seemed promising at first when the mustached barkeep mentioned "frog season" starting to pick up. The programmer really liked frogs, so he thought that was something they could discuss further without it all being terribly uncomfortable, but it turns out the "frog season" Gus mentioned was for eating frogs. Frog legs, frog backs, frog soup... Sebastian was horrified and made a quick exit. All Pam wanted to do was talk about the alcohol. He had refused to move from his hiding spot behind a tub of flowers ever since. "Ugh. I'll come out later," he insisted with a grumble.

Sam scanned the field as Mayor Lewis made the announcement for the young couples to gather for the flower dance. "Looks like Violet might get snatched up by the doc," he chuckled. "They're the only two left, from what I see."

"Wait, what?" Before either Sam or Abigail knew it, Sebastian leapt to his feet and ran toward the field, though he did not check to see where Violet was before he started moving.

"Toward your mom!" Sam shouted after their desperate friend, knowing that it would be easier for Sebastian to pick the red-head out of the crowd to narrow his search. Abigail and Sam held each other, giggling like hyenas as they joined the rest of the pairs at center of the meadow.

"Damn, who knew this could be so much fun?" Abigail asked her boyfriend. "I see why you enjoy teasing him so much."

The blond grinned, "It's a favorite past-time of mine," he admitted. "Do you think he'll make it?"


	40. The Flower Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of the pairs are already set as Bex rushes back to make it in time. The older generations gather to watch the young couples dance and make their own commentary. Arguments, heartfelt moments, and embarrassing conversations occur.

Bex heard the muffled announcement from the Mayor to signal the main festivities and cursed. "Thanks for doing business," she said, shaking hands with Rasmodius. "I look forward to doing more in the future. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prior engagement." With that, the woman lowered herself down the cliff to scramble back down as quickly as she could, leaving a rather puzzled but intrigued wizard up on the ridge.

When the cosmetologist finally made it to the base of the cliff, she brushed off her feet in the grass and put her shoes back on. "Now where is that pelirroja bonita?" she muttered to herself, hopping the fence back into the field proper.

It was then Bex spotted Leah and Haley, queuing up for the dance together. The bilingual woman sighed forlornly at the lost chance to dance with Leah. "Perdí mi oportunidad..." She glanced at a few of the samples she received from the strange man above her. "I just hope it was worth it..."

Mayor Lewis saw Bex standing alone. "If you'd like to dance with the other young people, you'll need to find a partner," he told the visitor curtly. "We're about to get started."

Bex waved him off, "Sí, sí. Lo sé, viejo." Looking around, the tall woman noticed that two men were approaching Violet. Bex smirked and wondered which of them would reach her first.

* * *

Violet stood watching all the other couples gather for the dance and glanced around to see if anyone else was missing a partner. She noticed Harvey approaching her and the doctor paused briefly, adjusting his tie. "I -" he cleared his throat. "I would hate for you not to participate in your first flower dance," he offered politely. "Would you like to be my p-?"

The mustached man was cut off with a shout from behind the farmer. It was Sebastian, resting his hand on his knees as he panted to catch his breath. "Violet..."

The pastel-haired woman was unsure of what to do. While she certainly knew Sebastian better than Harvey, the doctor had technically asked her first. "Oh, hello..." Violet greeted the dark-haired man. "I was just about to accept Harvey's invitation to dance..." she told her friend.

"Well, that would be incredibly rude, conejita..." Bex's voice entered the conversation.

"Bex, you're back! Where have you been?" the farmer demanded to know.

Her best friend shrugged, "Acá y acá," she answered dismissively. Instead, Rebecca immediately went on the offense. "Don't you know it's improper to accept an invitation to dance when you've already asked someone else?" The other three sets of eyes watched Bex, wondering what was going on.

"What do you mean?" Violet wondered aloud, trying to determine what her friend meant.

She jutted her chin toward Sebastian. "You asked Sebastián to dance last night and he _graciously accepted_ ," she explained to Violet, quickly giving the black-haired man a pointed look for the last part of her sentence before returning her gaze to her short friend. "It would be rude to go back on your word, wouldn't it, conejita?"

Sebastian studied the cosmetologist's face, trying to discern why this woman would lie to Violet for his benefit. The dark-eyed woman winked at him discreetly and for some reason he felt a sense of unease. _What's her angle?_

Violet's face reddened. She did not remember asking Sebastian to dance the previous night, but if Bex knew, someone must have said something to her last night. "Oh..." The farmer turned to Harvey. "I'm sorry, Harvey," Violet apologized. "I had a bit to drink last night and didn't remember I was already committed. Please don't think I intended to-"

The doctor smiled weakly, "Oh, it's okay, Violet. I understand. I'll sit this one out..." He began to turn when Bex cleared her throat.

"This is my first danze de la flor, too." Rebecca extended her hand toward the odd man out. "It is your duty to escort a lady to the dance floor," she informed Doctor Harvey. While the doctor was certainly not the person Bex originally planned on asking to dance, she was not about to let the poor man sit out because of her schemes.

Harvey adjusted his glasses slightly, before offered his hand to her. "Oh! Of course, Miss..."

"My name's Rebecca, but I go by 'Bex,'" the woman replied to introduce herself to the doctor. "I'm Violet's best friend from la cuidad."

"I'm Harvey, the local doctor," the bespectacled man offered in response. "Shall we?"

Bex allowed herself to be lead away to where the other couples were congregating and turned her head to grin at the remaining couple. "You two coming?"

Violet glanced nervously at Sebastian. "Sorry for almost double-booking myself," she apologized, twisting some of the material of her dress in her hands. "I didn't realize-"

The young woman was cut off as her partner grabbed her hand with his and started walking her toward the other dancers "Don't apologize," he instructed Violet, making sure she was still behind him as they walk so he would not see the color of his face. "I was literally hiding from people until the dance started, so I shouldn't have expected you to be able to find me." He sighed, "It all worked out anyway, didn't it?"

The farmer noticed that his hand felt warm and a little bit sweaty. Was Sebastian just as nervous as she was? While Sebastian could not see, Violet beamed. "Yeah, I guess it did..."

* * *

Those of the older generations - in addition to Jas and Vincent - all gathered around the young couples in an oval as the music started. Robin leaned over to her husband and smirked with delight. "It seems both our children have new companions this year," she squealed quietly. Demetrius was still not amused. "Maru is dancing with that Alex boy..."

"Oh, it's fine, honey," the carpenter told her husband, giving him few reassuring pats on his broad shoulder. "Alex seems like a nice boy. He is very respectful of his grandparents." The red-head shrugged, "Besides, it's wonderful to see Maru all dressed up every once and a while. It's such a rare occasion to see her curls."

The scientist muttered to himself grumpily, but did not contradict Robin. Pam, who had been standing close-by, approached the two. "Have either of you seen my Penny?" she asked the couple, the concern apparent in her tone. "It's not like her to miss this..."

Robin's confusion was palpable. "Pam, Penny is with Elliott. Don't you see her over there?" She gestured to the pair farthest from where they stood.

Pam's heavily decorated eyes drifted toward the couple. "Her hair!" the woman shrieked. "It's not red anymore."

The natural ginger's head slanted to one side, "You mean you didn't know?"

Frowning, Pam shook her head. "No... I didn't," the shorter woman admitted guiltily. "Penny kept that thing on her head until after she left..."

Fixing her gaze back onto the young people, Robin noticed Penny danced with a quiet grace and Elliott's fluid movement complemented hers so naturally, it appeared as though they were characters in a fairy tale book. The carpenter could not tell what was going through Pam's head at the moment, but Penny's mother remained silent the rest of the dance.

The blonde had trouble discerning why she felt her heart drop when Penny laughed at someone Elliott said. _I hardly recognized her with that big smile on her face,_ Pam thought as her cinnamon-colored eyes followed the couple.

* * *

Jodi could not stop the grin from forming on her face as her oldest boy danced with his new girlfriend. Sam seemed to be taking all of this so seriously, cautious not to step on Abigail toes. It reminded her of when she and Kent were still young. Samson looked so much like his father, it would both a blessing and a source of sadness for Jodi.

She heard Evelyn and George making quiet conversation next to her. "The children do look lovely this year..." the elderly woman sighed to herself wistfully. "It reminds me of when we were young, George. Do you remember our first dance together?"

"I can hardly remember when I ate for breakfast three days ago," George grumbled. "What makes you think I can remember something so long ago?"

"Oh, I remember it like it was yesterday..." Evelyn chuckled to herself, resting her hand on his shoulder. "You were so distinguished in your suit, dear." Granny noticed Jodi looking at them. "Oh, hello, Jodi. Come to join us?" she asked the younger woman.

While it was not her intention, Jodi could now no longer linger five feet away, so she stood next to Evelyn as the three of them watched the dancers. "Young Sam looks very handsome today," Evelyn stated. "He and Abigail make a beautiful couple."

Jodi could not take her eyes off of her son and Abigail, but nodded in agreement. "They do look happy, don't they?" she replied, though her words were laced with the loneliness she felt missing her husband.

Wise old Evelyn seemed to catch on, so Granny reached out and gave Jodi a squeeze on her hand. "It will be alright, dear. I'm sure Kent will come back safely sometime soon..."

"I hope so." The light-haired brunette did not think that Kent's letters were indicative of that potential, but Jodi appreciated Evelyn's attempt to comfort her. "I hope Kent can join us all next year..." she agreed.

* * *

Sebastian took a deep, calming breath as the music started, watching Violet dip and twirl to the music with the other women. It was clear she did not actually know the dance - the others must have forgotten to teach her - but she was quick on her feet to watch and mimic their movements as quickly and gracefully as she could. The farmer was trying to hide her silent panic, but the programmer saw it the slight rise in her eyebrows. As the pairs narrowed the gap between them for the next portion of the dance, he tried to ease her worries. "You're doing fine, Violet," he assured his partner quietly. "No one expects you to do everything perfectly the first time."

"Is it obvious that I have no idea what I'm doing?" she asked quietly, so the others would not hear her self-doubt.

The dark-haired man shook his head and it was then that Violet got a good look at his face up close. Sebastian's bangs were swept up and back toward the back of his head. Strangely, Violet liked being able to see his whole face and her eyes traced the outline of his features as they met in the middle along with the other couples. The pastel-haired woman stood breathless for a moment as her dance partner grinned at her.

As they danced, Violet recalled more of what she told her fellow nerd the night before. Sebastian had not judged her when she told him about her past. Instead, he continued to treat her as he had always done, teasing her at first, but there for her when she needed someone to hash out her feelings. As her dark blue eyes met his inky-black ones, Violet became distracted as the rest of the world seemed to melt away around her as she allowed her mind to ponder on the possibility of letting this man into her heart. She felt a pounding in her chest and she could not tell if it was from anxiety or her body's excitement from being in such close contact with Sebastian. They had never even held hands before today. Sure, he had carried her to safety while she was unconscious, but this was the first time she could actively feel the warmth of his hand in hers. Violet discovered she liked the way his hands felt. The softness of his palm, but slightly rougher fingertips.

Sebastian tried to keep going with the dance, even with Violet so intently focused on him, and offered his hand to spin Violet according to the choreography. Yet, the farmer did not take the cue. "Perhaps I spoke too soon," he teased the spaced-out farmer, gripping her hand firmly for a moment before releasing the pressure. "You still in there, Violet?"

"Sorry!" The young woman realized her blunder and spun quickly to catch up with the movements of the other dances, her dress and hair flaring outward as she did so.

"Calm down," Sebastian ordered Violet, trying to fight the urge to flee immediately with all the eyes upon them. Luckily for him, the dark-haired man's muscle-memory allowed him to continue the dance while distracting himself from his fears. Sebastian could not help but notice the dress Violet wore showed off her curves quite nicely. As the music began to fade, the dark-haired man noticed Violet visibly relax. The worst of it all was over. Now everyone could just enjoy themselves for the rest of the evening without the pressure of everyone watching.

"Let's party, Pelican Town!" rang out the voice of Violet's loud best friend, Bex. A speaker began to blare some kind of Latin dance music and Sebastian's face fell as Violet's lit up in recognition. "This dance is all the couples here today!"

* * *

As the couples danced, Marnie noticed that Shane's steps were heavy and awkward, but Emily adjusted well to compensate for his uncertainty. The sapphire-haired woman took her nephew's hand and gave him an assuring smile. Once the man focused on the woman before him, his fumbling lessened significantly. It warmed Marnie's heart to see Shane happy like this.

"I don't understand why Emily bothers with Shane," Lewis scoffed, ruining the rancher's fuzzy feelings. "She's a nice, respectable young lady."

Marnie could feel the heat in her cheeks. "That is my nephew you're talking about," she snapped, more angry than she had ever allowed herself to be in public, though her volume was still relatively low. Then Marnie reminded the Mayor of another connection, "And Jas' godfather."

The grey-haired man shook his head, "That's another thing! What kind of parents would entrust their little girl to him? He's a train wreck!"

"I will not have you disrespecting my family!" Marnie spat back, her hands balling into fists at her side. "If you are really as concerned a Mayor as you claim, you would try to help build him up rather than speak so poorly of him, Lewis," the rancher added accusingly.

The man blinked, clearly not used to the brunette being so openly upset with him. "Of course I care about the people of Pelican Town. That's why I think Emily should not waste her t-"

A fury flashed in Marnie's eyes that made Lewis pause. "Say one more word, Lewis and I swear..." she warned the mustached man beside her.

The Mayor's mouth twitched. "If this atrocious behavior is because I won't make the nature of our relations public due to my position as Mayor of Pelican Town..."

Marnie huffed angrily. "Your heart is as dried out as the rest of you!" the brunette growled, leaving the old man to stand alone. The rancher walked along the fence so to avoid getting in the way of the dancers as she returned her spot in the northwestern corner of the clearing. She felt the hot tears of frustration well up in her eyes. If only her husband, James, had not died when the Gotoro Empire first attacked all those years ago. Marnie was sure that Shane and Jas would have adored him. And then she would never had been reduced to begging for the affections of such an old prune. Lewis was only a local mayor, after all. Why did he care about how it would look to the other villagers if he were in a relationship? Did Lewis really think that the people of Pelican Town expected him to stay single so long as he held his political position? It was ridiculous! But it was so hard to find a man to provide physical comfort and companionship for a woman her age, especially in such a small town. So what other choice did she have?

"You - uh... Look upset, Marnie," a deep voice said gently. _Oh..._ The rancher turned her head to see a man with grey hair and a single steely blue eye, holding out a handkerchief toward her. The eye patch and attire made him look quite rugged, the woman noted to herself. Marnie had never spoken to the man, but he tended to show up at the Pelican Town Festivals. Marnie was not sure where he lived, but she figured he must live close to town if he knew her by name.

"Oh, thank you, sir," she responded gratefully, accepting the cloth and dabbing her eyes. "Some men are just so _dense_ ," Marnie complained generally.

The man chortled heartily, "Well, if we weren't, we might be done in by our own foolishness," he laughed, gesturing to his leg. "Luckily, I got away mostly intact."

Marnie made sure that Jas was nearby and supervised as the young people finished up their formal flower dance. "I would love to hear that story," the rancher replied. "If you don't mind, that is..."

He raised his bushy eyebrows in surprise, but his lips curved upward slightly behind his beard. "Of course, ma'am. I would be happy to oblige, if you don't mind an old man's reminiscing."

* * *

"It's a bachata, this is super easy!" Violet promised, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer, so they were only about elbow-length apart. "Here, look... One, two, three, tap your foot like this. Five, six, seven, tap..." Applying gentle pressure, Violet lead Sebastian along with steps and sure enough, he caught on easily enough. He could not help but watch as Violet's hips moved in an appealing figure-eight sway. The other couples seemed to catch on between the two sets of demonstrators - Bex and Harvey and Violet and Sebastian.

Violet beamed at Sebastian and he could tell her confidence was slowly returning after spacing out during the flower dance. He could not help but think of how lovely Violet seemed when she smiled and Sebastian wondered what caused the farmer to lose focus so badly.

"So what caused the blank stare earlier?" he asked casually, making sure to pay attention to his feet so he did not step on Violet.

"Oh..." There was no hiding her embarrassment when they were standing so close together. "I... just thought you look nice tonight, that's all."

Sebastian's dark eyes flickered in surprise. "You don't think this suit is ridiculous?" he asked doubtfully.

"I don't really think about clothing when I look at a person..." Violet's deep blue eyes widened in panic. "Not that I think of people _without_ clothes, I just pay attention to their faces more often."

The programmer chuckled, "There's nothing wrong with thinking of people without clothes..."

"I'm not undressing everyone with my eyes!" Violet countered, scandalized by Sebastian's words. "I'm not a pervert!"

The young man paled. "I was agreeing with you, not saying you should imagine people naked," Sebastian shot back defensively. "And who even said I was talking about everyone?!"

Sam and Abigail, who had slowly begun dancing toward the bickering couple cackled when they overheard the last portion of the conversation.

"Sounds like you two are already making plans for later," Sam observed with a mischievous waggle of his eyebrows.

Both Violet and Sebastian turned crimson and snapped their mouths shut. The song ended as if on cue and the two immediately broke apart and headed off the designated "dance floor."

"Aw, come back, guys!" Abigail plead teasingly. "We won't judge!"

* * *

As the Latin music continued, older couples began to join in on the fun. Robin seemed especially enthusiastic to have a chance to dance with Demetrius with this kind of music. While her husband seemed lost at first, after several repetitions of the dance steps, the scientist worked it out for the most part.

There seemed to be a disagreement between Pierre and Caroline, the former wanting to get back to his booth to sell his ware, while the latter complained that no one was going to buy anything when the option to dance was on offer. After some hushed bickering and a tap on Pierre's shoulder from Demetrius, Caroline got her way.

The couple that really surprised the villagers, however, was Marnie and Marlon. The steps were slow and easy enough for Marlon's leg and therefore Marnie had asked the man to dance. Haley, who had discovered the relationship between the Mayor and the local rancher, poked her dance partner. "How jealous do you think Lewis is going to get?" she asked Leah.

"Do you think that's why Marnie is dancing with him?"

Haley shrugged, "It could be," she admitted, keeping in time with the music as she danced. "But sometimes it's not about getting revenge," the blonde explained to Leah, her bright blue eyes searching Leah's face for a trace of understanding. "It's about... finally noticing someone you never thought of as an possibility until you take another good look."

Leah tilted her head to the side, her long red hair following the pull of gravity. "What do -?" the artist stopped herself, choosing to ask a different question instead. "Did I... say something to you last night that's making you act this way?"

The blonde's coral-colored lips flipped into a frown. "Nobody's _making_ me act any certain way. I just want to try something..." Haley leaned her lips toward Leah's, but the artist pushed her back.

The sculptor shook her head, "No, what I mean is..." Leah sighed, "Uh, forget it," the woman stated in frustration. "I'm sorry, Haley. I didn't mean to lead you on, but I'm not just here so you can experiment with your bi-curiosity to feel better about yourself and then run back to Alex whenever he's not already with someone else."

Haley looked hurt. "That's not why I asked you to dance, though," she assured Leah quietly.

Leah studied the blonde incredulously. "So you're saying that if Maru hadn't already asked Alex, you still would have asked me to dance with you today?"

The shorter of the two downcast her eyes, looking guilty. "I... suppose you have a point," Haley admitted hesitantly. "But that doesn't mean I don't like dancing with you, Leah. I'm really glad you accepted."

"That's sweet, I guess," Leah answered dismissively. "But that doesn't change the fact that I'm not the _guy_ you wanted. So don't pretend this is a romantic evening and let's just dance as two people who sort of know each other."

Haley, feeling both a bit foolish and chastised, nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Leah..." she apologized. "I shouldn't have tried to kiss you like that just to see if I... _felt_ anything. That's not fair to you."

The ginger smirked slightly. "Maybe buy me dinner sometime first, eh?" she replied jokingly, though Haley could tell there was sadness in the artist's voice, too. But Leah did well to mask the feeling. "For now, let's just have fun!" Clearly, Haley had not expected Leah to forgive her enough to continue dancing together, but the upward curve of her smile indicated her happiness that the artist was so lenient with her.

"Thanks, Leah..."

* * *

Violet immediately headed to the table to get a drink and calm down after that word-vomit fiasco. The problem was, she was not the only person getting a drink.

Vincent and Jas were nearby, and were audible in their complaints for Haley's being crowned flower queen once again this year.

"Someday, I'm going to be the flower queen!" the little girl in pigtails vowed. "And I will rule over all the flowers and be the prettiest dancer in the whole Valley!"

"That's not fair..." Vincent protested, stomping his foot. "Why can't I be the flower queen?"

Jas turned to her playmate. "Because you're a boy, silly!" she huffed, sticking out her tongue.

The little boy searched desperately for some adult support. "Violet! Jas says boys can't be flower queen!" he informed the adult. "Is that true?"

Violet would have answered if not for Bex's intrusion. The cosmetologist came and knelt beside the child. "Niño, you can be a king, queen, duke, duchess - whatever your little corazón desires!"

Vincent beamed smugly at Jas, who pouted at the newly legitimized competition for the future title. "See! I can be flower queen, too."

Bex stood back up, towering over the below-average-height people around her. "Conejita, I need to borrow you for a salsa demonstration," Violet's best friend explained. "Tus vecinos no tienen idea de lo que están haciendo," the bilingual chuckled. "And I think I've already worn out the doctor. Poor man..."

Violet had always helped with dance demonstrations while the two were still in school together. The school tried to do cultural festivals and "strongly encouraged" the young women who were not of European decent to participate. It was a badly managed attempt to showcase cultural diversity, but in fact pressured all the non-white student to perform for their white counterparts. Either way, since they were an all girls' school, Violet always played the role of Bex's counterpart to the dances.

"Fine..." the farmer relented, taking one last drink of water. "I owe you that much."

Bex smiled. "Excellent, sígame por favor," the woman said as she dragged Violet back toward the other dancers.

* * *

"You know what? I admit it..." Sam announced, plucking a fallen daisy from the grass and adding it to the bun in his hair. "I really like flowers!"

Abigail smirked, "Aren't you allergic to them?" she reminded her boyfriend.

The blond shrugged, "Eh, allergy medicine does wonders. Besides, they look and smell nice and you rock them, Abi," indicating the flowers adorning her hair.

The amethyst-haired woman gave her Sam a playful shove. "Just don't expect me to wear dresses all the time."

Sam flashed a wide grin, "I have to say, you do look good in a white dress, though. I'd like to see you wear one again someday..."

Abigail blushed. "Sam, we just started dating!" The woman could feel the strange mixture of flattery, happiness, fear, and anxiety all culminating in her body at once. "You can't be thinking about that already!"

"It never hurts to think about," her boyfriend explained casually. "Heck, my parents got married younger than we are now." When the blond noticed Abigail's face go sheet-white he clarified, "Not that I'm suggesting immediate action!" Sam grew quiet for a moment before he added, "I'd... want dad to be here for something like that, anyway."

His girlfriend's bright blue eyes softened as she held him close, gently lowered his head to her shoulder. "It's okay, Sam," Abigail whispered with a comforting squeeze. "Your dad will come back safe and sound..."

The young woman felt the dampness on her shoulder and realized that Sam let out a few silent tears. Abigail figured it was in case Vincent showed up, Sam did not want to have to explain or lie to his little brother as to why he was upset. Her boyfriend was a considerate older brother that way. It was one of the many things that made him so endearing. "I'm here..." Abigail said, pressing her cheek against him gently. "You're safe, Sam. And your dad will be, too."

* * *

Sebastian was trapped behind the barrel of flowers with Sam and Abigail sharing an intimate, emotional moment just on the other side. On the one hand, he wanted to comfort his best friend, too. On the other, he knew that Sam did not often share his feelings with his self-assigned role as the happy, go-with-the-flow guy in their friend group. Sam needed this and Sebastian was not about to rob him of that support.

The sun slowly finished its descent over the horizon and after a while of painful silence on Sebastian's end, a familiar voice posed a question to the couple. "Hey, you two! Bex is trying to get everyone salsa dancing," Violet informed Sam and Abigail. "Do you want to join?"

"Sounds spicy," Sam answered, likening the dance to the food. "I'm in if you're in, Abi."

The hidden figure could tell from Abigail's voice that she rolled her eyes, "Fine..."

As the sounds of footsteps receded, Sebastian decided to peek out from behind the tub to see if the coast was clear and make an escape. Thought after standing to his feet, his dark eyes alighted on Violet's face looking up at him expectantly. "Found you, silly."

He jumped. "H-How did you know I was back here?" the man asked uneasily, backing away slightly so that their faces were not so close.

Violet laughed. "Because you told me when we were dancing that you had been hiding from everyone and this was the last place I hadn't checked," she answered, hiding her beautiful, enormous smile behind her hand as she continued to giggle.

Sebastian lowered his gaze, both embarrassed the farmer was mocking him and enamored with the sound of her laughter. "Why are you making fun of me?"

The farmer shook her head and denied the accusation. "I'm not!" she informed him, reaching up on her tip-toes to touch his hair. Sebastian froze, unsure of what the woman's intentions as he felt her fingers brush against him. "You just have a cute little frog on your head and your expression matched the look on its face perfectly for a moment." Violet lowered her open palms to show the terrified creature to Sebastian. "See?"

Indeed, there was a young frog in her hands and it stared up at the two giants with a horrified look before it finally mustered the courage to hop out of Violet's grasp. The two watched it hop away for a moment before Violet spoke again. "Oh, uh, let me wash my hands. I think it peed on me," she explained, kneeling down to rinse her hands in the river. Sebastian did all that he could not to openly stare at Violet as she leaned over, her dress showing off the curve of her body. Was it wrong of him to be this attracted to her? Violet had basically admitted she liked him too, but there was no definitive indication that she wanted to be anything more than friends right now. Sebastian figured he would just have to wait, something for which he had plenty of practice. Still, the local nerd hoped he would not ruin things before they even got the chance.

Violet rose to her feet and Sebastian looked the other way, trying to conceal that he had been watching her. "Do you want to go back to dancing or are you done for the night?" the farmer asked her dance partner.

Sebastian cleared his throat, trying to regain some of his dignity despite the situation. His scalp still tingled slightly where Violet had caressed his head to extract the amphibian. "I suppose one more dance before I sneak out of here wouldn't hurt..."

"Great!" Violet replied happily, taking his hand in her own. "C'mon, let's go!" she urged Sebastian. Yet he stood firm, surprising the farmer with his resistance. Her deep blue eyes scanned him curiously. "What's wrong? Don't you want to dance?"

The dark-haired man averted his gaze a moment. "I was hoping... we could dance over here," he confessed sheepishly. "I don't like being around so many people at once..."

Musing for a moment, Violet searched the area to make sure there was not anything to would trip them. "We could just dance here next to the river," Violet conceded. "It's nice and flat and the sound of the music carries over just fine." The farmer smiled up at Sebastian. Violet took both of his hands in hers, suddenly far more confident, as she tried to teach Sebastian the steps. "It's really just a lot of shifting your weight around," she explained as she counted out the steps.

It took more tries than Sebastian cared to count, but after some encouragement from Violet, it slowly began to make sense before the movements finally clicked with him. Violet grinned at him as they finally fell into a rhythm in time with the music. "Look at you!" she complimented Sebastian, her smiling face likely pink from the exertion or pride in his efforts, but the man could not tell which. Violet stopped looking at her feet, showing Sebastian her trust in his ability to lead now. The dark-eyed man felt breathless and worried his hands were too sweaty and that he had no business dancing with a cute girl like Violet, but eventually those thoughts began to fall from his mind as he focused on the woman's face in the bright light of the moon. Violet looked so happy... And Sebastian realized he wanted nothing more than to make sure that she stayed that way. He felt a slight pain in his cheeks as he realized he had been smiling back at the farmer this entire time.

When the music stopped, Sebastian did as well, but Violet - who had either not been paying attention or did not care that the music ended - bumped into her dance partner. Catching them both from falling, Sebastian's right leg fell back and braced himself against Violet's surprisingly dense body. For a moment, the two stood there in each other's embrace - a bit stunned by what just happened.

Violet found that Sebastian's body felt pleasantly firm against her and she looked up to find his face far closer than she anticipated. "Nice catch," she said, unable to stop the tinge of pink from coloring her face as she gently untangled herself from her friend. "Thanks for saving your last dance for me," she told Sebastian appreciatively with a shy smile. "I... had a lot of fun."

"Me, too," Sebastian admitted, much to his own surprise as he watched her walk away toward the light of the torches and the crowd of other party-goers.


	41. Springtime is Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the Flower Dance, Sam sneaks into the house to spend the night with Abigail. Sebastian lies awake overthinking things, as per usual. Shane suffers from a hard emotional crash. Penny and her mother have a talk. 
> 
> Violet takes some much-needed time to recharge and prepare for Summer. Despite her best efforts, she still socializes a little bit. The farmer makes a disturbing discovery...

Sam hopped in through the window of Abigail's room moments after he made sure he was seen by Pierre and Caroline dropping his girlfriend off at the front door. Before he had left his house that day, he made sure to arrange his pillows in such a way that it appeared he was in his own bed fast asleep in case his mother decided to poke her head in.

"Took you long enough," Abigail teased, slipping her hands into the sleeves of Sam's silly powder blue jacket to help remove it from his shoulders. She kissed his lips slowly and deeply now that there were away from prying eyes.

"Well, I've gotta keep up appearances, babe," the blond chuckled as the jacket fell to the floor in a heap. "Your dad has to continue to think that I'm a respectable young man, after all."

Abigail smirked and went to unbutton her boyfriend's shirt. "I guess sleeping over most nights this week would probably put you on his shit list," she agreed. His body was damp from dancing all evening and she found that she liked the way the shirt clung to him. "Though he would probably forgive you if you bought enough produce at the shop."

"Hm... Even if I did this?" he asked, scooping Abigail up in his arms, his hips between her thighs, and lowering her onto the bed.

The amethyst-haired woman stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before she tugged at his open shirt with both hands to drag him down to her and claim his lips with her own. She felt the skirt of her dress fall down toward her waist, but Abigail was too turned on by Sam's decisiveness that she did not care about modesty at the moment.

"Dad might be mad for a while if he walked in on this," she admitted, but Abigail found the danger of being caught excited her. Sam pressed himself against Abigail's prone form and smirked mischievously.

"And what about you, Abi?" Sam asked his partner, gently running his fingers from her knee up toward her hip. "What do you want?"

"Stop talking and kiss me," Abigail demanded, her voice breathy and hot on his neck. Sam reached for the light switch and did as he was told.

* * *

Sebastian sighed, rolling over once again as he tried to fall asleep. He had been legitimately tired of people when he left the festival, so why did he have this nagging feeling that he missed out? Okay, so maybe he was not tired of spending time with Violet, but at town festivals, inevitably he was drawn into socializing with other people, too.

 _But what if Violet's dancing with someone else and having an even_ better _time?_ a voice in his mind queried. _Sure, she likes you now, but feelings change. Maybe this whole "I'm not ready yet" is just a way of telling you she's not really all that interested..._ "Things have been going well," Sebastian argued with himself. "Sure, I make myself look like an idiot around her sometimes, but..." the memory of her laughter echoed as he saw her bright smile light up in his head. "I get the sense she feels the same." Sebastian recalled how Violet's cheeks blushed at the misunderstandings in their casual conversation. How she complimented how he looked. Then Violet's plea from the night before, as she drunkenly cuddled against him on the porch of the farmhouse. _Just keep being you..._ she had said, just before drifting off to sleep.

"No one's ever liked me for being myself before," he told the negative part of his brain. "Not like _that_." He paused, pondering a moment. "Besides, I still need to figure out this magic stuff," Sebastian whispered, holding his hand out in front of him for inspection. "I still have no idea what I can do, how it works, or where it came from..." Surely researching his magical potential would keep his focus on other things for a while. There were still plenty of questions left unanswered. Sebastian hated not knowing, but then again, it was a new code to crack. The young man just hoped he could do more than cast a single protection spell and cause a misunderstanding with the local monsters.

* * *

Shane collapsed into bed that night, and fell asleep almost immediately. He had a good time at the dance. He had legitimately enjoyed himself and right now he felt better than he had in years. But as soon as he awoke and felt the usual pang of emptiness, everything came crashing down and made his lows seem even darker by comparison to this one bright, shining moment. Of course Shane would never be happy for long. The thirty-year-old sighed deeply. If only things had not gone so well with Emily. Then at least, he could remain comfortably numb to how dull and lifeless most days were for him. But he dared to hope for better and now he had to face the consequences.

It hurt like hell. Shane could not deny that. Why had he done something so stupid? He should have known this would happen, like it always did. Why did he always do this to himself? After an emotional high like last night, this particular low made him want to just curl up and die.

His dark eyes fell on the list of mental health resources Dr. Harvey had given him years back, pinned to his bedroom wall. Shane stopped going to see the doctor after that because the mustached man asked that he "reduce his alcohol consumption." The poultry man knew he had a problem, but what else was he supposed to do now? If he stopped, Shane knew he could no longer drown out the voices that wanted him gone. So either live as an alcoholic or die sober, right? And yet... there was another option Shane had not considered until recently. _"I worry that this illness in his head is going to take him away from everyone that loves him..."_ Emily had said. _"Please promise me if you ever feel like you're losing against this sickness, you call one of us, okay? Anytime day or night, for me especially."_

While Shane did not want to bother Emily, he knew that if he did not keep his promise, the barkeep would be disappointed in him. Somehow, that always felt worse than anything else ever did. Tearing it off the pin that attached the crumpled sheet of paper to the wall, the local junior alcoholic rolled over and grabbed his phone.

* * *

It was a shame Bex had to leave. As soon as they finished breakfast and Violet finished with her morning chores, the farmer helped her best friend load her bags into the old, rusted pick-up truck. The newest addition to the Valley gave Bex a firm, lingering hug. "I'm going to miss having you around," Violet confessed sadly. "It's been great seeing you again."

Bex smiled and patted her short friend's head, which Violet only tolerated because she was particularly emotional about their parting. "Oh, chica. I'm going to miss you, too," the taller woman replied, squishing Violet's head in a hug. "But I feel a lot better knowing you've muchos nuevos amigos here that will take great care of you." Rebecca pursed her lips in contemplation before finally adding, "Better than el viejo pandilla ever could…"

Violet's face wrinkled as she tried not to cry, "Oh, Bex… You're the best!" she said shakily, embracing Rebecca as tightly as she could, as if that would stop her friend from returning home. The farmer was relieved that Bex liked her new friends and felt validated that her oldest and dearest friend thought this town was a good fit for her.

"I know," Rebecca replied teasingly, releasing herself from Violet's grip before climbing into the cab of the truck. "And don't think this means that anyone else can replace me as your bestie, conejita." Her dark eyes gave Violet a disapproving look to emphasize her point.

"Of course not!" Violet assured her with a smile, reaching out to form the other half of a heart symbol with Bex's outstretched hand.

As the engine purred to life, the cosmetologist sighed. "I guess this means it's time for me to go..." she thought aloud. Turning to Violet one last time, she gave the new farmer a mischievous wink. "Make sure that Sebastián behaves himself!" she cackled as she put the truck into gear and drove off down the empty road.

Violet watched her best friend leaving until the truck disappeared from sight. The farmer felt the pang of loneliness that came from parting with an old friend, but soon that gave way to utter social exhaustion. "I need a break from people…" the pastel-haired woman sighed miserably.

However, Violet still wanted to be a good steward of the forest and neighbor, so she completed the spring crops bundle with the Junimos, which resulted in twenty packets of fertilizer, and dropped off a cauliflower to Jodi. Luckily for the exhausted farmer, Jodi did not have time to chat with Vincent begging for her total and immediate attention.

The rest of the day, Violet returned to the farmhouse and did a few small chores around the property. She crafted more tappers, placed her new scarecrow, Gwendolyn, in a strategic location for the layout she planned to try come Summer, and checked on the pomegranate sapling she had bought from Talla the week before. Violet noticed a few things littered about on the ground around the tiny tree and cleared the area to make sure her favorite fruit tree would have the best start possible. When she was satisfied with her work Violet dedicate the late afternoon and evening to spending time with Bruno. While he was a fiercely independent dog, Violet could tell he appreciated the attention, pets, and scratches behind the ears when they were available to him.

* * *

Penny rose at her usual early hour to make breakfast the morning after the Flower Dance, despite the festivities the night before. She and her mother had not spoken at all since the flower dance and Penny was not sure how Pam would react to both her change in hair color and her choice of a dancer partner for the entire evening.

The teacher clutched the small book in her hands tightly, drinking in every word with her bright green eyes. Elliott had leant it to her, and it was the first new books she had read in ages. Penny had long since read all the books in the library, no matter how strange the subject, and she had yearned for new material. This was technically a manuscript for Elliott's new book. After their moonlit walk on the beach, Penny offered to edit for Elliott. She remembered how bashful he looked, telling him he was not quite to the point that he would allow anyone else's eyes to critique his work just yet. However, after the dancing ended the night before, Elliott handed her a small bundle with the manuscript and a beautifully etched metal bookmark, adorned with her initials and a poppy-red tassel. "I appreciate your kind offer," Elliott told Penny quietly. "I hope you will accept this small token of my gratitude."

Elliott had such a way with words, both when he spoke and in his written works. Penny's heart could not help but flutter whenever the protagonist encountered her lover. At the same time, however, the brunette wondered if perhaps someday Elliott might be the kind of man with whom she could settled down and raise a family. He had such a kind nature and he was so good to her. Penny paused, blushing as she remembered the soft warmth of his lips upon the back of her hand as he bade her goodnight and thanked her for the lovely time.

"Penny!" Pam's voice called to her, ripping her daughter from her pleasant daydreams. "The bacon's burning." The blonde shook her head disapprovingly as she took her usual seat at the kitchen table.

The young woman panicked slightly as the smoke rose up from the pan and she quickly retrieved the crispy pieces of meat from the sizzling fat. "I'm sorry, mother," Penny apologized. "I didn't mean to burn it."

Pam sniffed as Penny placed the strips on her plate. At least they were not as bad as the smoke had suggested. "Don't let some boy put your head in the clouds," the mother warned. "And what's with that hair? Are you changing everything about yourself for this guy playing broke poet until he decides it's no fun anymore?"

Penny blinked, speechless for a moment. Setting the manuscript down, the brunette looked down at her mother seated at the table, stuffing her face full of eggs and bacon. "This is how my hair would look all the time if I had not dyed it red. Rebecca simply helped me get it back that way. I'm not going to dye it anymore..." The teacher took a deep breath and braced herself for the next part. "And Elliott is not a boy, he is a grown man and he is a talented writer with an upcoming book deal," she informed her mother promptly.

Narrowly avoiding a spill on her track suit, Pam huffed in response. "How embarrassing for a mother to show up to a town festival and not recognize her own daughter," she complained. "It's like you were a complete stranger last night, Penny. What's gotten into you?"

"I... I'm trying to do little things for my own happiness," Penny confessed. "And I find that I enjoy chatting with Elliott about novels, art -"

Her mother interrupted with a heavy sigh. "His kind look down on us, Penny," she told her daughter. "He may look at you with a sparkle in his eyes now, but once some rich girl comes sniffing around, he'll ditch you in a second for her." The blonde shook her head and took a drink of coffee. "It's just how they are, kid. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Elliott would never!" Penny protested. "He is a sweet, sensitive man and I am..." the young woman was not sure what words to use to describe her feelings regarding the handsome author. "Fond of him," she decided.

Pam grumbled. "You're a smart girl, Penny," the woman told her daughter. "But sometimes its the smart ones that get screwed over most by the world. The dumb ones think it could never happen to them, but the clever girls think they can do something to stop it from happening."

"Stop what from happening?" Penny inquired, slightly angry that her mother insulted her so.

"Gettin' knocked up and kicked to the curb," Pam snapped, staring her daughter down with a fierceness in her coffee-brown eyes that Penny had never witnessed. "I saw how happy you looked last night dancing with that long-haired hippy. Don't get swept up in the moment and let him take advantage of you."

Penny could tell this conversation was getting nowhere, but she had to make one last attempt. "Elliott is a gentleman," she reiterated. "And he would never hurt anyone. Besides, he would not even step into the trailer for something to drink," Penny protested. "He said he could never enter the home of a woman without a chaperone."

The blonde cackled under her breath, "Well, at least this one's a prude, then." Pam brought her coffee mug to her lips and upended the contents into her mouth. "Well, that's it for me," she announced. "I've gotta go to my check-up with the doc," she informed the brunette. As Pam exited the trailer, she glanced back at her daughter. "Keep out of trouble."

* * *

Neither of the next two days were particularly eventful, since Violet already informed the usual pool table crew that she needed to take a break this week. Sebastian actually sent her a separate text thanking her for being the one to cancel because he had wanted to do the same, but did not want to be the one to rain on Sam and Abigail's parade. Sam also thanked Violet, but for entirely different reasons. Now that the group had scrapped their usual plans, he could take Abigail to Zuzu City for a date. So, even though Violet started out feeling a bit guilty, it all worked out in the end and the only human interaction the farmer had that day was strictly business. The local scientist apparently wanted to make use of the empty cave on her farm and gave her the choice between trying to attract fruit bats or using it to grow a variety of mushrooms. Although Violet adored fruit bats, she did not want to attract all the other things that came with their guano - especially the cockroaches. So, instead Violet permitted Maru's father to cultivate mushrooms in the cave.

Since Violet's solitude had already been disrupted first thing that morning, the farmer made a quick trip to Clint's to upgrade her hoe for the upcoming Summer. Judging by the state of her garden and her expanded budget due to the profits from her crops this season, the young woman thought it best to get that taken care of now before the turn of the season. The blacksmith seemed dissatisfied that Violet only came for an upgrade and not for additional business needs, but the pastel-haired woman was not about to buy things she would easily find in the mines the next time she went exploring.

Clint told Violet her new hoe would be ready on Sunday and that she should return then. So, the farmer went back into the heart of town to sell her parsnips, kale, cauliflower, and potatoes to Pierre. After Violet was satisfied that Pierre had not added any false advertising claiming to have been the producer of her crops, she left the store to head to the beach for some foraging. There were a few clams and pieces of coral, one of which the farmer decided she would drop off to Emily for her birthday the next day since it had a particular interesting shape. Finally, as a last chore and for something to do with her time on her no-people days, Violet swung by Willy's shop to buy a fiberglass rod. Fishing without bait was a terrible bore, after all. The fish did not generally bite when there was nothing to tempt them and it only made the time drag on when the fish were so few and far between.

Before the farmer headed home, Violet thought it best to just check Talla's inventory, but even the mysterious traveler did not have anything that interested her that day. The young woman apologized for her rudeness and quickly made her escape back home. So Violet spent the rest of her Friday in the quiet of her farmhouse, reading, writing a letter to her father to assure him she was doing well, and generally tidying up after having company for several days straight. It was strange, but despite her social exhaustion, Violet could not help shake the feeling that something was missing. Occasionally, her mind would drift back to the flower dance and how Sebastian's hand felt in hers. How his dark eyes seemed to look right through her to the soft, vulnerable core of her existence. The way his downy hair felt when she plucked the frightened frog from his head. Violet shook her head. _No, stop that._

On Saturday, it rained, so Violet slept in and listened to the rain beat on her roof in a lazy daze until finally her hunger forced her out of bed. Bruno, whose muddy paws made tracks around the house, hopped up and licked his human's face when she entered the kitchen. "Alright, boy!" she laughed, trying to keep his giant paws at bay so her clothes would not be caked in the fresh mud. Once she fed Bruno his breakfast, he went right back outside to frolic in the wet outdoors. Violet, on the other hand, had several goals today, none of which involved human contact.

Today, her mission was all about fish for the bundles the Junimos requested. Her targets were the following: a largemouth bass from the mountain lake, both a catfish and a shad from the town's rivers, and an eel from fishing in the ocean. Violet decided to start at the mountain and work her way down, since the eels would not be active until the late afternoon at earliest. So Violet headed north of her farm and took the trail that took her directly east to the mountain. While the farmer did not have an umbrella with her, she did not mind getting a bit wet from the rain. The farmer did not see Linus out, otherwise she would have stopped by to at least greet the wild man, but Violet heard a strange, haunting sound drift across the mountainside. It was a flute, the young woman realized. Someone was playing nearby.

Violet followed the music toward the lake and there she should Abigail standing under a large pine tree, fireflies dancing around the soft glow of her lantern. When the flutist noticed Violet, she paused. "Violet! Why are you out here in the rain?" she asked, surprised that anyone else was out and about.

"Just enjoying the weather," the farmer replied casually. "I plan to do some fishing, too."

Abigail smiled, "Yeah... I guess you would be one to appreciate the somber ambiance," she thought out loud. Her cerulean eyes fixed on Violet. "... I came here to spend some time alone," she confessed. "But I don't mind your company!"

"I won't bother you long," the farmer assured the flutist. "I'm still trying to get some time to myself, too. It's been a busy season."

The amethyst-haired woman nodded in understanding. "Yeah, a lot has happened this Spring." Abigail paused, scrutinizing Violet for a moment before she invited the farmer to join her. "You're getting soaked..." she observed disapprovingly, "come stand under the tree."

For a while, the two stood in stillness, watching the raindrops fall to the earth. "It's impossible to describe this feeling..." Abigail told Violet. "Watching the curtains of rain whisper above a silent lake."

"It's something I never be able to enjoy back in the city," the farmer agreed solemnly. "My old life feels so far away, even if it's only been a season since I came to Pelican Town."

"Huh..." the taller woman scoffed. "It does seem a lot longer than that, doesn't it?" Abigail shrugged, and turned her head to face Violet. "I guess that means you're officially a townie. Congrats!" she informed the farmer teasingly.

Violet returned with a smirk, "I like the sound of that. You all have made me feel so... welcome." There was a moment of quiet before she added, "It's weird."

Abigail wondered what the farmer meant. "What's so weird about it?"

The pastel-haired woman leaned against the pine tree and sighed. "I just never felt that way in NuNu..." she explained. "Everyone had their own thing going and if you happened to be swept up in the same orbit - great. But I always felt so lonely, even when I excelled in my job, or when I got invited out to get drinks with my co-workers. We all knew each other on the surface, but nothing deeper than that." Violet chuckled to herself. "My roots in the city were as shallow as a spring onion's - and just as easy to pull up. But now..." she glanced at Abigail. "I think I've found the right place this time."

A faint grin fell across Abigail's face. "I'm glad you like it here with all of us," the grocer's daughter stated. "I feel like I would have been stuck if someone new hadn't come in to shake things up. I'm glad that we're friends, Violet."

The farmer heard a light rustling in the pine needles above her and looked up to see several Junimos waving down at her. Before she could say anything, an object fell from the branches and without thinking, Violet caught it, several of the strings ringing out as the instrument settled in her grasp. "Hey! A mini-harp!" Abigail exclaimed, picking up her flute again. "You're full of surprises, Violet. I'm impressed."

Truth be told, Violet had no idea how to plat the mini harp, but she plucked each string to test out the sound and kept it simply once she figured out which ones went well with Abigail's wind instrument. Once the song was finished, Violet thanked her friend and excused herself to go fishing for her specific targets in the local waters.

It took the rest of the day and into the night, but Violet got what she wanted from each body of water and delivered the requested fish to the spirits of the forest. On Violet's way home from the beach, she tied the weathered piece of coral she found beach combing yesterday to the handle of the front door of Emily's house with a little note. The pastel-haired woman felt a little badly that Emily would likely not get this until after midnight - when her birthday was technically over, but Violet told herself it was the thought that counted.

* * *

Sunday was also relatively uneventful simply due to the lack of new crops in the garden. There was no point in planting new seeds on the last day of the season after all. So after collecting her last harvest of parsnips, Violet read a pile of manga under the shade of her favorite pine grove until the latter part of the day. It was one of her favorite series and as a gentle filtered through the trees, the farmer thought that it would be a great day to just go for a stroll. Violet's deep blue eyes glanced at the pile next to her. "I wonder if Sebastian would want to read these?" she thought out loud. The woman felt like she owed him a new fandom after ruining Cave Saga X for him. Taking the first five in the series, the farmer tied them together with twine to make transport easier and stuck them in her backpack.

The mountain trail was peaceful, with the wind caressing the wildflowers, and the birds sang their merry tunes overhead. Whereas when Violet first arrived in the Valley, the upward slope would have made her a bit breathless, she now found that the walk simply made her feel energized. As she approached the house, Violet noticed immediately that the garage door was open. Someone lay prone underneath a motorcycle, presumably performing routine maintenance or making a necessary repair. As she got closer, the young woman realized that it was Sebastian under there, his tools clanging about as he pushed the mechanic's creeper out from underneath the vehicle. The man's face was smudged with oil, but that did not stop detract from his features. "Oh, hello Violet," Sebastian greeted her.

Violet circled the bike from a cautious distance, not wanting to disturb Sebastian's work. "Is this motorcycle yours?" the farmer asked curiously. "I've never seen it out before."

"What," he inquired in disbelief, "you haven't seen my motorcycle before?" After a moment of pause, he added, "Hmmm... I guess I haven't shown it to you." The dark-haired man reached into a tool box and once he had what he wanted, Sebastian lie back down on the creeper and kicked his heel to push himself back under the motorcycle. He continued tinkering, but addressed Violet in conversation, half his body hidden by the body of the vehicle.

"Sometimes, after sundown, I make the long ride out of Stardew Valley..." he began, his arm repeating a motion as if he were either tightening or loosening a bolt. His voice took on an especially pleasant tone. "There's nothing like it," he told Violet, "blazing along the empty stretch of road toward the faint city glow..." The young woman closed her eyes and imagined the scene herself. Sebastian continued. "Once I've save up enough money, I'm going to head out on my own..." At this, Violet's heart sank slightly, but she did not say so. "... to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike." Sebastian sounded so happy at the idea, Violet felt she had no right to rain on his parade. What had she really expected anyway? Sebastian may not even be interested in her that way.

The sound of rushing fluids could be heard and Sebastian slid back out. "There we go, oil's changed," he informed his guest with a smile. Violet had never felt so happy and sad in the same moment. Sebastian clearly still wanted to get out of this town and Violet became more positive by the day that she wished to remain here. Perhaps she had hoped for too much. Maybe... the flower dance had not meant as much to Sebastian as it had to her. Violet had almost danced with Harvey, even after asking Sebastian to dance. What must he thought of her, seeing that in combination with her drunken behavior the night before?

"Hey..." Sebastian's voice rang out, clearing her mind and bringing her back to focus like a meditation bell, "maybe I'll take you for a ride someday." Violet's heart skipped a beat and she hoped in a way she should not dare. Maybe...

Her dark blue eyes caught his gaze, "I've never been on a motorcycle before. They kind of scare me..." she admitted sheepishly. "Mainly because of the potential for injury, but... if it's with you, I think I would have a lot of fun."

Sebastian chuckled, "I'm a responsibly driver," he assured her. "Hell, I just changed the oil. How many irresponsible motorcyclists do that?" He turned the key in the ignition, pulled the clutch, and flipped the switch to start the small vehicle and it purred to life. He smiled with satisfaction. "What a beautiful sound," he sighed.

Violet giggled, though Sebastian was not sure why. "What's so funny?"

The woman pointed to the back end of the motorcycle. "Your tail lights are out," she told Sebastian. Her laughter only grew as she elaborated. "Bex told me that she nearly ran into some cabrón with missing tail lights on the way into Pelican Town." Her eyes gleaned as the biker's face paled. "It was _you_ , wasn't it?"

His obsidian eyes widened in realization - presumably remembering the incident from his perspective in a new light - before he avoided Violet's gaze completely. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about," he insisted, denying the accusation. "It's just a coincidence..."

Violet's laughter only intensified as she bumped Sebastian's arm playfully. "You're such a bad liar, it's kind of adorable..."

Sebastian's cheeks turned red, but he knew there was no point in trying to talk his way out of it now. "I'll replace them," he grumbled, disappearing into the garage to search for spare bulbs. A few minutes later, the biker emerged from the garage with two, shiny new bulbs. Unscrewing the burnt out ones, Sebastian deftly stuck their replacements into the sockets and twisted them in. Sebastian started up his motorcycle again, this time the tail lights illuminated properly. "Better?"

The farmer beamed, "Of course. I want you to stick around, after all." After an awkward moment of silence between them, Violet clarified. "I mean, I don't want you getting hit and killed, obviously. You are fre-"

"You're fine, Violet," Sebastian interrupted with a chuckle. "I get what you meant. You'll end up embarrassing yourself the more you backpedal," he added with a teasing smirk.

"You do the same," the pastel-haired woman shot back with a pout. Violet tried to avoid looking at Sebastian's face for fear that her heart might explode out of her chest with that sexy grin of his. _Damn..._ "Oh, before I forget," Violet thought out loud, shrugging her backpack off her shoulders and unzipping the main pocket. She produced a parcel of books. "I thought you might like this series," Violet shared, at first reaching out to hand him the stack, only to change her mind when she saw the oil on his hands. "Maybe... I should carry them for now," she suggested, hugging the books to her chest protectively.

Sebastian inspected his hand and nodded in agreement, "Yeah, probably. Let me get washed up really quickly." He paused at the front door of the house. "You coming in, or are you just going to stand out here?"

"Oh!" Violet did not realize that Sebastian meant for her to follow, but immediately corrected the mistake. Robin was delighted to see Violet enter the shop after her son. "Hello, Violet!" she welcomed the farmer. "I haven't seen you in a few days." Violet could not tell if that simply an observation or commentary of some sort. The ginger continued, "Thank you for allowing Demetrius to use that empty cave on your farm," she said appreciatively. "I would love to have you over for dinner some time to express our gratitude, Demetrius has been in such a good mood about it the past few days."

Violet sighed, "I'd love to, but it would probably have to wait a while. I need to get everything up and running for Summer," the farmer replied. She could tell from the look in Robin's eyes that the mother was going to suggest she stay tonight, but Violet foiled the idea before the ginger could even ask. "I'm just here to drop these off. I have to stop by Clint's shop before he closes for the day."

"You better hurry, then," Robin told the farmer. "It takes a while to get down there from here."

Sebastian intervened, "Then all the more reason we should stop chatting, right mom?" he asked pointedly.

Robin beamed, "Of course, Sebby. You two have fun now," she added as the two disappeared down into her son's room.

* * *

Sebastian disappeared into his bathroom to wash the oil off his hands and face and returned to find Violet admiring his collection of comic books. "You've got some of the classics here," she observed, pulling one of his older volumes gingerly from the shelf.

"I'm glad you can appreciate them," Sebastian shared with her. "I've had to save them from the trash a few times when mom insists on some spring cleaning."

Violet's eyes widened in horror. "No!" she gasped, scandalized by the mere idea.

The programmer pulled a particular volume from the shelf and displayed a red stain on the cover. "Spaghetti sauce," he explained, indicating the blotch that covered the hero's face.

"Oh, that sucks," the farmer acknowledged. "That's a rare one, too."

Sebastian's eyebrows rose in surprise as she recognized its worth. "You really are a nerd," he chuckled to himself.

"Stop sounding so surprised," she laughed, placing the comic back onto the shelf. Violet looked around the room and her eyes lingered on something in particular. "Hey, your curtains are the same color as my hair," Violet observed.

The dark-haired man grimaced sheepishly, "Uh, yeah..." he replied, "Maru said they matched the rug that was already in here. It looked kind of out of place without something else to match, I guess." While it was true Maru had pointed that out, it was not the reason he chose the color. Still, Sebastian was willing to let Violet believe that it was not entirely his doing.

Violet turned her gaze to the rug on the floor and confirmed, "So the carpet does match the drapes," she giggled like a twelve year-old boy. Sebastian blushed slightly at the innuendo, but did his best not to embarrass himself by continuing the train of thought.

"I'm not really great at interior decorating," he admitted, noticing how messy his room was and fighting the urge to clean so Violet would not judge him. "And I'll admit I'm not the tidiest person, either."

"Is that why you still have your ex's toothbrush in the bathroom?" Violet wondered aloud. Abigail had assured her that Sebastian was not with someone and this was the best chance to clear the air.

Sebastian was confused. "Ex?" he responded, clearly not understanding her meaning. "I've never had a girlfriend," he informed Violet. "Especially not one serious enough to leave her stuff at my place." He tilted his head, his tapered bangs drifting further to one side. "You thought I had a girlfriend because of the old toothbrush in the bathroom that I use to clean my keyboard?" Part of his was elated that Violet was so interested in his dating history. It meant she thought about it - and maybe even considered how she might fit into it. But it was also kind of adorable how she ran with the idea of a mysterious ex-girlfriend off of just one item in his bathroom.

The farmer pouted, "In my defense, who keeps their old toothbrushes next to the one they use anyway?"

"Where else am I going to keep it?" Sebastian shot back with a chuckle. "Next to my computer would look even weirder."

"Fair enough," Violet relented as she handed off the bundle of manga to her friend. "You don't get to keep them," she told Sebastian. "This is my favorite series, so don't let them get beat up or thrown away," the woman insisted gravely. Finally, she added a warning, "And perma-death is real in this setting, unlike a lot of fantasy. It delves into a lot of deep shit, but it's so worth it."

"I'll be sure not to get too attached to anyone," he scoffed, looping his fingers through the cord to accept the package.

Violet shook her head, her wavy hair swaying side to side. "Oh, that will be impossible, but best of luck," she replied with a smug grin. "I have to pick up my hoe from Clint, but let me know when you want the next set to read," the farmer explained, dismissing herself as she climbed up the stairs toward the carpentry shop.

Sebastian watched her go and waited until the sound of her footsteps receded into silence. His obsidian eyes darted down to the knot that bound the books together. "Your favorite series, huh?" he thought aloud as he untied the knot. Sebastian had to wonder what kind of comic Violet deemed worthy of the title of "favorite." The programmer had to admit he was surprised that Violet trusted him with these, but at the same time, he was excited. They would have something new to talk about - something she was passionate about. Sebastian adored the way her eyes lit up when she got invested into a topic of conversation. Reading this would only give him more of that spark. Reclining on his bed, the young man cracked open the first volume to the first page, feeling the well-loved spine against his fingertips.

* * *

Violet made it just in time to claim her upgraded hoe. The farmer rushed home to finish the last of her spring cleaning and get everything prepared for the new season come morning. Bruno seemed happy to see his human and did his best to assist with the preparations in his own way - that is, to accidentally make Violet's job harder every step of the way. Luckily, it was endearing and making sure her watering can was full, the land was clear of tall grasses and debris, and planning the layout of her plots did not take as much time as she anticipated. So not to waste the drive to be productive, Violet used that energy on the inside of the house.

While the last traces of Bex and her other visitors were already cleaned, the farmer wanted to swap the warmer spring sheets and comforter on the bed for lighter warm weather versions. Violet knew there were in a closet around here somewhere. After struggling to retrieve boxes from the higher shelves, the short woman finally resorted to using a kitchen chair to elevate herself to a more desirable height for the task at hand. In the closet that was original to the oldest version of the house, Violet found a peculiar latch on the ceiling. It appeared to be a small trapdoor to the attic, but the farmer could have sworn there was another, larger door in the opposite closet. So what could this possibly be?

Curiosity getting the better of her, Violet applied pressure to the latch and after a few moments, the rusted metal gave way and clicked open. The farmer nearly fell from the chair when a soft parcel fell from the trapdoor into her face. She coughed as the dust exploded out from the mysterious package, bound together with an old silk ribbon. It was heavier than Violet would have thought something of this size would have weighed, but after closer examination the young woman realized that it was a large piece of fabric folded in upon itself.

Stepping down from the wooden chair, Violet undid the bow and began to unfurl the large swath of material. It was similar one of her grandmother's quilts, but on a much grander scale and as she stood back and took in the scene as a whole, she felt a chill run down her spine. "What the fuck..." she whispered quietly to herself, her deep blue eyes not leaving the tapestry. Her hands pawed at her pocket and she pulled out her phone.

***EMERGENCY MEETING RE: SHADOW: I found something in the ceiling and you guys are going to want to see this.***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wraps up Spring Year 1, which is Part 1 of "In Search of a Soul." I will continue this work with Part 2: "In Search of a Soul: Violet of the Valley," which will cover Summer Year 1. 
> 
> This means two things:  
> 1) This work will be marked as "complete."  
> 2) If you would like to continue reading, click on the series to find Part 2 when it becomes available. 
> 
> I am going to take a short break in between (like a week or so, this isn't a full-on hiatus) to organize certain plot points of the story and play some Fire Emblem: Three Houses. I still haven't finished the Crimson Flower or Silver Snow routes and I feel a mighty need.


End file.
